11
Many Electron Atoms and the Periodic Table of Elements
THE PROPERTIES OF ATOMIC and molecular matter are determined by the quantum mechanical details of the atoms that make up a substance. Common table salt is sodium chloride, NaCl. Na is the symbol for the sodium atom. Sodium’s atomic number is 11. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, that is, it is the positive charge on the nucleus. Na has 11 protons in its nucleus and 11 negatively charged electrons. Chlorine (symbol Cl) has an atomic number of 17. Cl has 17 protons in its nucleus and 17 electrons. When table salt, which is composed of little white crystals of NaCl, is put in water, it dissolves. In water, the Na becomes the positively charged sodium ion, Na+ (sodium ...
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