AQA · Chemistry · 8462
GCSE Chemistry: Size and mass of atoms
Atomic structure and the periodic table · AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462), specification point 4.1.1.5. Cards are generated from the exam board's own specification for "Size and mass of atoms", and every card links back to the page it came from. Specification © AQA — used with attribution.
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What is the approximate radius of an atom?
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About 0.1 nm (1 × 10⁻¹⁰ m).
What is the approximate radius of an atomic nucleus?
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About 1 × 10⁻¹⁴ m — less than 1/10 000 of the atom's radius.
The radius of a nucleus is less than ? of the radius of the atom.
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1/10 000
Where is almost all of the mass of an atom located?
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In the nucleus, because protons and neutrons are far heavier than electrons.
What is the relative mass of a proton?
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1 (the same as a neutron).
What is the relative mass of an electron?
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Very small — about 1/1836 of a proton, so it is usually treated as negligible.
Define the mass number of an atom.
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The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.
What are isotopes?
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Atoms of the same element (same number of protons) with different numbers of neutrons.
Atoms of the same element with different numbers of ? are called isotopes.
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neutrons
How do you calculate the number of neutrons in an atom?
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Mass number minus atomic number.
How many electrons does a neutral atom have compared to its protons?
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The same number — equal to the atomic number — so the charges cancel.
What does the SI prefix 'nano' mean?
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× 10⁻⁹ (one billionth), e.g. 1 nm = 1 × 10⁻⁹ m.
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