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Vocabulary
Atoms and Elements Notes
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| atoms | the basic building blocks of matter |
| protons | the subatomic particles that have a positive electric charge, and they are found in the nucleus (or center) of an atom |
| neutrons | another subatomic particle that is also found in the nucleus (or center) of an atom, and they have no electric charge |
| electrons | the third subatomic particle that have a negative charge and are found outside the nucleus in a region called the electron cloud |
| element | a pure substance that is made up of only one type of atom |
| atomic number of an element | the number of protons in the nucleus of one of its atoms |
| chemical symbol | a one-or-two letter abbreviation that represents an element |
| physical property | a characteristic of a substance that can be observed and measured without changing the identity of the substance |
| metals | are found to the left of the zig-zag line on the Periodic Table. Physical Properties: solid, shiny, malleable, great conductors of heat and electricity. |
| nonmetals | appear to the right of the zig-zag line on the Periodic Table. (Except for hydrogen.) Physical Properties: gas, dull, brittle, poor conductors of heat and electricity. |
| Metalloids | appear between metals and nonmetals along the zig-zag line on the Periodic Table. Physical Properties: solid, less shiny than metals, less malleable than metals, are known as semiconductors of heat and electricity. |