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Physical Geology lecture 3
Lecture 3
15
Geology
Undergraduate 2
09/19/2010

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Term
element
Definition
a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by ordinary chemical methods
Term
atom
Definition
smallest possible particle of an element that retains the properties of that element
Term
electron
Definition
particles that have very little mass but contain a small unit of electric charge designated as -1 or negative 1
Term
proton
Definition
particles that have very much more mass and carry and electric charge that is equal but opposite that of the electron
Term
neutron
Definition
particles that have just a little more mass than a proton but have no electric charge, hence they are neutral
Term
nucleus
Definition

protons and neutrons form this central part of the atom

 

although the nucleus occupies an extremely tiny fraction of the volume of the entire atom, practically all of the mass of the atom is concentrated in the nucleus

Term
electron bearing shell
Definition

electrons move rapidly around the nucleus but are held in orbit by the positively charged protons

 

electrons are regarded as moving within specific enegery levels which may be depicted as shells

Term
atomic mass number
Definition
the total number of neutrons and protons in an atom
Term
atomic number
Definition
the number of an element is equal to the number of protons in each atom
Term
isotope
Definition
atoms of the same element containing different numbers or neutrons but the same number or protons
Term
noble gases
Definition
chemically inert, will not react with other elements to form a compound
Term
ion
Definition
an electrically charged atom ( or group of atoms)
Term
ionic bonding
Definition

bonding due to the attraction between positively charged ions(cations) and negatively charged ions(anions)

 

most common in minerals

Term
covalent bonding
Definition
bonding in which atoms share electrons
Term
Van Der Waal's Bonding
Definition
a weak electrostatic attraction between atoms caused by the positioning or their orbiting electrons
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