Electronic Structure and Periodic Properties of Elements
The following course of instruction shall demonstrate to the pupil the physical properties of matter and its transition toward interdisciplinary knowledge. Such study enables the researcher to discover the chemical properties and the immutable laws of nature regarding the classification of matter into groups of elements. This is achieved by observing not merely the macro-mechanical characteristics, but the uniformity in the reactivity potentials inherent to the various families of elements.
Electromagnetic Energy
By the end of this discourse, the pupil shall be empowered to: Elucidate the fundamental deportment of waves, distinguishing clearly between those which travel through a medium and those known as standing waves. Expound upon the undulatory nature of light, acknowledging its character as a wave-like disturbance. Employ the requisite mathematical formulae to determine the properties of light-waves, to wit: period, frequency, wavelength, and energy. Discriminate with precision between the appearance of line emission spectra and those which are continuous in their manifestation. Delineate the particulate nature of light, observing its behavior as a stream of discrete corpuscles.
The Bohr Model
By the end of this discourse, the pupil shall be empowered to: Describe the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, acknowledging the revolutionary concept of electrons orbiting the nucleus in fixed, 'stationary' paths. Employ the Rydberg equation to calculate the specific energies and wavelengths of light either emitted or absorbed when an electron leaps between these celestial-like rungs.
Development of Quantum Theory
Upon the conclusion of this chapter, the pupil shall be empowered to: Extend the remarkable concept of wave–particle duality—heretofore observed in electromagnetic radiation—to encompass matter itself, acknowledging that even solid particles possess an undulatory character. Comprehend the overarching principles of the quantum mechanical description of electrons, wherein the atom is defined by three-dimensional wave functions, or orbitals, which delineate the probability of encountering an electron within a given region of space. Enumerate and describe the characteristics of the four quantum numbers, which serve as the essential coordinates for the complete specification of an electron's state within the atomic structure.
Electronic Structure of Atoms (Electron Configurations)
By the end of this discourse, the pupil shall be empowered to: Derive the predicted ground-state electron configurations of atoms, employing the principles of the Aufbau process to populate the various shells and subshells. Identify and explain those curious exceptions to the predicted configurations for certain atoms and ions, acknowledging where the laws of nature appear to deviate for the sake of stability. Relate these electron configurations to the broader classifications of elements within the Periodic Table, observing how the architecture of the atom dictates its station therein.
Periodic Variations in Element Properties
By the end of this discourse, the pupil shall be empowered to: Describe and explain the observed trends in atomic size, ionisation energy, and electron affinity of the elements, discerning the periodic nature of these physical properties.