Unit · year 1
CU-101 · Atomic Structure & Periodicity
Threads quantum · structure26 lectures6 results
Where chemistry begins: the quantum atom, and why the periodic table has the shape it does.
PREREQUISITES
None — this unit is the entry point to the canon.
Lectures
| L01 | Matter, Elements, and the Atomic Hypothesis — |
| L02 | Subatomic Particles and the Nuclear Atom — |
| L03 | Isotopes, Atomic Mass, and Mass Spectra — |
| L04 | Light as a Wave: Frequency, Wavelength, Energy — |
| L05 | Blackbody Radiation and the Quantum Hypothesis — |
| L06 | The Photoelectric Effect |
| L07 | Atomic Line Spectra |
| L08 | The Rydberg Formula |
| L09 | The Bohr Model of Hydrogen |
| L10 | Successes and Failures of the Bohr Model |
| L11 | Wave–Particle Duality and de Broglie — |
| L12 | The Uncertainty Principle — |
| L13 | The Schrödinger Equation for the Atom |
| L14 | Quantum Numbers |
| L15 | Shapes of s, p, and d Orbitals |
| L16 | Radial Distribution and Orbital Penetration |
| L17 | Electron Spin and the Pauli Principle |
| L18 | The Aufbau Principle |
| L19 | Hund's Rule and Ground-State Configurations |
| L20 | Anomalous Configurations: Chromium and Copper |
| L21 | Effective Nuclear Charge and Shielding |
| L22 | Atomic and Ionic Radii |
| L23 | Ionisation Energy |
| L24 | Electron Affinity and Electronegativity |
| L25 | Why the Periodic Table Has Its Shape |
| L26 | Synthesis: Quantum Mechanics Explains the Table |
Results in this unit
T-001
The Bohr model of hydrogen
Quantised electron orbits give energy levels E_n = -13.6/n^2 eV.
T-002
The Rydberg formula
Every hydrogen spectral line from a single expression in 1/n^2.
T-003
Quantum numbers and atomic orbitals
Four quantum numbers label every electron in an atom.
T-004
The building-up principle
Aufbau order, Hund's rule and the Pauli principle fix ground-state configurations.
T-005
Periodic trends
Effective nuclear charge explains atomic size and ionisation energy across the table.
T-006
Ionisation and the photoelectric effect
Electrons are ejected only above a threshold photon energy.