Chapter 2 Notes

The Chemical
Context of Life
Concept 2.1
Organisms are composed of __________:
anything that takes up space or has
mass
___________: a substance that cannot
be broken down by chemical reactions

___________: substance consisting of
two or more elements in a fixed ratio
Concept 2.1
Life requires about 25 elements
4 of those make up 96% of living matter
________________________________
_______________________
Trace Elements are those that are
required in only minute quantities
-ex. Iron, iodine
Concept 2.1
Concept 2.2
_________: smallest unit of matter that
still retains the properties of an element
___________________: Protons (+),
Neutrons (0), Electrons (-)

Protons and Neutrons have a mass of 1
dalton. Electrons have no mass

Concept 2.2
___________________: # of protons
_______________: sum of protons +
neutrons
__________________: different
atomic forms of an element.
-ex. Carbon-12 (99%), Carbon-13
(1%), Carbon-14 (<1%)

Concept 2.2
C-12 and C-13 are stable. C-14 is
unstable, and radioactive. It will decay
giving off particles and energy.

Carbon-14 will decay into Nitrogen
Concept 2.2
An atoms electrons vary in the amount of
energy they possess.
____________: the ability to do work.
_______________: energy that matter
stores because of its position or location
Electrons have potential energy because
of their position in relation to the
nucleus.
(a) A ball bouncing down a flight
of stairs provides an analogy
for energy levels of electrons
Third shell (highest energy
level)
Second shell (higher
energy level)
Energy
absorbed
First shell (lowest energy
level)
Atomic
nucleus
Energy
lost
Concept 2.2
Concept 2.2
The different states of potential energy
that electrons have in an atom are
called energy levels or electron shells.
- the first shell has the lowest energy.
The second shell has more than the
first, etc.
__________________: those in the
outermost shell
Concept 2.2
Hydrogen
1
H
Lithium
3
Li
Beryllium
4
Be
Boron
5
B
Carbon
6
C
Nitrogen
7
N
Oxygen
8
O
Fluorine
9
F
Neon
10
Ne
Helium
2
He
Atomic number
Element symbol
Electron-
distribution
diagram
Atomic mass
2
He
4.00
First
shell
Second
shell
Third
shell
Sodium
11
Na
Magnesium
12
Mg
Aluminum
13
Al
Silicon
14
Si
Phosphorus
15
P
Sulfur
16
S
Chlorine
17
Cl
Argon
18
Ar
Atoms will bond with others to gain
stability
________________: sharing of a pair of
valence e- by two atoms
-ex. Hydrogen atoms will share their
electrons. They become H-H

Concept 2.3
Concept 2.3
Concept 2.3
__________________: the attraction
of an atom for the electrons of a
covalent bond
____________________: when the
electrons are shared equally
____________: when one atom is
bonded to a more electronegative atom
Concept 2.3

+
+
H
H
O
H
2
O
Atoms and Molecules
_____________: when two atoms are so
unequal in their attraction for electrons
that one atom will strip the electrons from
its partner
_________: a charged atom; cation has a
positive charge, anion has a negative
charge (ca+ion; a negative ion)
Compounds formed by ionic bonds are salts

Concept 2.3
Na Cl Na Cl
Na
Sodium atom Chlorine atom
Cl
Na
+

Sodium ion
(a cation)
Cl

Chloride ion
(an anion)
Sodium chloride (NaCl)
The advantage of weak bonding is that
the contact can be brief
_______________: H is covalently
bonded to an electronegative atom and
attracted to another electronegative
atom.
-ex. Water and ammonia
Atoms and Molecules
Concept 2.3
+
+

+
+
+
Water
(H
2
O)
Ammonia
(NH
3
)
Hydrogen
bond
Atoms and Molecules
________________: making and
breaking of chemical bonds.
- starting material is reactants
- ending material is products
__________________: point at which
reactions offset one another.
Atoms and Molecules