Simulations at http://phet.colorado.edu/
Name: _________________________
Atoms are the smallest things that retain the properties of matter we can observe.
Atoms are made of three subatomic particles; protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Protons have a mass of ___________ amu and a charge of ___________.

Neutrons have a mass of ___________ amu and a charge of ___________.

Electrons have a mass of nearly___________ amu and a charge of ___________.
In this simulation, you will build atoms, subatomic particle by subatomic particle and observe the effect of adding more of each particle. When the subatomic particles in an atom change, an ion,
isotope or different element will be created.
Play with the Sims  Chemistry  Build An Atom
Begin by playing with the simulation for a while. Become familiar with the interface. What happens when you add protons, neutrons, or electrons? To start over, click .
Show the symbol, atomic mass, and charge by clicking on the .
1.
Ions are atoms of the same element with different numbers of __________________.
2.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different numbers of __________________.
3.
Adding or removing protons from an atom does what to the atom? _________________________________.
4.
An atom with the same number of protons and electrons has a charge of _________.
5.
Adding two electrons to a neutral atom produces an ion with a charge of _________.
6.
An atom with six protons and five electrons would have a charge of _________.
7.
What atom is created with nine protons, nine neutrons, and nine electrons?
8.
Show the full symbol for the above atom in the box at the right
9.
What does the upper-left number in the symbol represent? __________________
10.
What does the lower-left number in the symbol represent? __________________
Click the tab at the top that says “Game”
Play each level until you make a perfect score. Call me over when you complete a level with a perfect score, and I will check it off.
Level 1 _____ Level 2 _____ Level 3 _____ Level 4 _____

Simulations at http://phet.colorado.edu/
Name: _________________________
PhET  Play with the Sims  Chemistry  Isotopes and Atomic Mass
Take some time and play with the simulation. Imagine you are manipulating atoms! EXCITING! Then answer the questions below.
Be sure to activate and
1.
Click on Boron. Draw the symbol of the most abundant isotope of Boron in the box to the right a.
# of protons: ______ b. # of neutrons: ______ c. # of electrons_______
2.
By adding and removing neutrons, find the second most abundant isotope of Boron in nature. a.
# of protons: ______ b. # of neutrons: ______ c. # of electrons_______
3.
How many stable isotopes does Neon have? Draw the symbol notation for each stable isotope in the boxes below. (hint: you might not need all of the boxes)
4.
Click on the Beryllium atom. How many stable isotopes does it have? _______
5.
What happens if you add a neutron to Beryllium? ________________________________________________
6.
What do you think happens to an unstable to an unstable isotope? __________________________________
7.
Complete the table below. Use the simulation to help you
2
8
10
3
10
4
5
18
20
7

1.
Water is H
2
O. How many isotopes of hydrogen exist in nature? (even unstable ones) ____________
2.
Use the internet to search for “heavy water.” What is this stuff? _______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
How does it behave, compared to ordinary water? ___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4.
Does heavy water’s ice float or sink in ordinary water? ___________ Why? ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
5.
What are some applications of Hydrogen-2, also known as deuterium, in the world? _______________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
6.
What makes Carbon-14
14
6
C
so useful in “carbon dating” or “radio dating”? ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
7.
Could a stable isotope of carbon be used in the same way? ____________ Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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