Table of Contents
How do electrons determine the properties of an atom?
The number of electrons, in turn, determines the chemical properties of the atom. The number of protons also determines the identity of the element. Electrons have a negative charge. Since the atom is electrically neutral, the number of electrons must equal the number of protons.
Why do electrons determine charge?
Protons are tightly bound in the nucleus and can be neither gained nor loss. So any change in the charge of an atom is due to changes in its electron count. If a neutral atom gains electrons, then it will become negatively charged. If a neutral atom loses electrons, then it become positively charged.
What do electrons flow?
The flow of electrons is termed electron current. Electrons flow from the negative terminal to the positive. Conventional current or simply current, behaves as if positive charge carriers cause current flow. Conventional current flows from the positive terminal to the negative.
What happens during electron?
During electron transport, energy is used to pump hydrogen ions across the mitochondrial inner membrane, from the matrix into the intermembrane space. A chemiosmotic gradient causes hydrogen ions to flow back across the mitochondrial membrane into the matrix, through ATP synthase, producing ATP.
Why do electrons determine the behavior of atoms?
When atoms react, they tend to try and achieve a full outer energy level, either by losing outer electrons, by gaining extra electrons or by sharing electrons with another atom. This means it is possible to predict the behavior of an atom by examining its electron configuration.
What determines the number of electrons?
The number of electrons in a neutral atom is equal to the number of protons. The mass number of the atom (M) is equal to the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. The number of neutrons is equal to the difference between the mass number of the atom (M) and the atomic number (Z).
What do the outer electrons determine?
The number of electrons in the outermost shell of a particular atom determines its reactivity, or tendency to form chemical bonds with other atoms. This outermost shell is known as the valence shell, and the electrons found in it are called valence electrons.
Do protons make up the element?
Elements are pure substances that make up all matter, so each one is given a unique name. The names of elements are also represented by unique one- or two-letter symbols. Each element has a unique number of protons. An element’s atomic number is equal to the number of protons in the nuclei of any of its atoms.