{"id":23566,"date":"2019-05-15T15:05:47","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T15:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sitepourvtc.com\/?page_id=23566"},"modified":"2023-06-07T18:54:29","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T18:54:29","slug":"chemical-properties-of-atoms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sitepourvtc.com\/nuclear-power\/reactor-physics\/atomic-nuclear-physics\/atom-properties-of-atoms\/chemical-properties-of-atoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Chemical Properties of Atoms"},"content":{"rendered":"
Every solid, liquid, gas, and plasma is composed of neutral or ionized atoms. The chemical properties of the atom<\/strong> are determined by the number of protons, in fact, by the number and arrangement of electrons. The configuration of these electrons follows the principles of quantum mechanics. The number of electrons in each element\u2019s electron shells, particularly the outermost valence shell, is the primary factor determining its chemical bonding behavior. In the periodic table, the elements are listed in order of increasing atomic number Z.<\/p>\n The total number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is called the atomic number<\/strong> (or the proton number<\/strong>) of the atom and is given the symbol Z<\/strong>. The number of electrons in an electrically-neutral atom is the same as the number of protons in the nucleus. Therefore, the total electrical charge of the nucleus is +Ze<\/strong>, where e (elementary charge) equals 1,602 x 10<\/strong>-19<\/sup><\/strong>coulombs<\/strong>. Each electron is influenced by the electric fields produced by the positive nuclear charge and the other (Z \u2013 1) negative electrons in the atom.<\/p>\n