Fundamentals of Electrostatics and Atomic Structure

Classified in Chemistry

Written on May 15, 2026 in English with a size of 2.47 KB

Electrostatics

Bodies with the same electric charge repel each other, while those with different signs attract.

Electroscope: Invented by the Frenchman Jean Antoine, this device detects charged bodies and can be electrified by contact or induction.
Electrical Pendulum: Used to study the attractions and repulsions between charged bodies.
Versorium: Invented by William Gilbert, this device detects charged bodies. It is similar to a compass needle, but non-magnetic, and rotates on a vertical axis without friction.

Atoms are the fundamental units of chemical elements.

Electrons: Negatively charged particles within the atom.
Protons: Particles with a positive charge equal in magnitude to the electron.

Thomson Model: Assumed the atom was a massive positive charge containing embedded electrons.
Rutherford Model: Determined the atom consists of a very small nucleus containing the positive charge and most of the mass, with electrons orbiting the nucleus.
Bohr Model: Proposed that electrons orbit the nucleus in specific circular layers or orbits.
Quantum-Mechanical Model: Defines an orbital as a region in space where there is a high probability of finding an electron.

Isotopes: Atoms of the same chemical element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.
Ions: Atoms that gain or lose electrons during chemical reactions, causing them to lose their neutrality and become charged.

The process by which certain atomic nuclei emit radiation.

Large radioactive isotopes break into smaller ones. This process is responsible for the energy of the Sun and other stars.

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