Senior High School

Physical Science
2ND Sem. Quarter 1 – Module 2
Atomic Number and Synthesis of
New Elements

What I Need to Know

The module is contained one lesson.

• Lesson 1 – Atomic Number and Synthesis of New Elements

The most essential learning competency for this module.
Explain how the concept of atomic number led to the synthesis of new
elements in the laboratory (S11/12PS-IIIb-11)
After going through this module, you are specifically expected to:

1. Define atomic number;

2. Determine the atomic number and mass number of the given element,
and
3. Explain how the concept of atomic number led to the synthesis of new
elements in the laboratory.

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 What I Know

Identify the key term referred in each statement. Write your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

__________1. The sum of the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an
atom.
__________2. It refers to the number of protons in the nucleus of an element.

__________3. A devise used in increasing the electrically charged atomic particle.

__________4. It is the first ever man-made element developed.

__________5. A particle that consists of proton and neutron in synthesizing element

in cyclotron.

Lesson
Atomic number and
1 Synthesis of new elements

In 1913, Henry Moseley arranged the elements in the periodic table

based on their increasing atomic number. Up to this date, his work is very
significant because the elements are still arranged in terms of atomic
number. The atomic number refers to the number of protons in the atom’s
nucleus. It is also the basis of element’s identity. More so, the number of
protons in an element determines the electrons that surround the nucleus.
The atomic number of an element helps the scientists to synthesize new
elements in the laboratories.

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 What’s In

What are two words that you can form from these pictures?

Atomic number, what is atomic number? Atomic number refers to the number
of protons found in the nucleus of an atom. As you explore this learning
material you will learn the concept atomic number and its important role in
yielding new elements in the laboratory.

What’s New

What is the essential role of atomic number in creating new elements?

The atomic number and mass number
The X-ray spectroscopy of Henry Moseley, an English physicist played a
significant development in determining the atomic number of the elements. In
his experiment, the different beam of electrons bombarded with other
elements produced varying frequencies of x-ray spectral lines. He measured
and concluded that these frequencies revealed by the elements in his worked
were similar location in the periodic table of elements. Therefore, he assigned
these frequencies as the atomic number of each element. The atomic number
indicates the number of protons found in the nucleus of each element. It also
serves as the identity of an atom.
In a neutral atom, the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons.
Thus, atomic number is equal to the number of electrons in a neutral atom.
For instance, aluminum has an atomic number of 13, meaning each neutral
atom of aluminum has 13 protons and 13 electrons. In general, the acceptable
representation of atomic number is this symbol, capital Z. The total number
of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom referred mass number. The
mass number represents by this symbol, capital A.

4
 A

X
Where:

X is element symbol
A is the mass number
Z is the atomic number
Mass number (A) = number of protons (p+) + number of neutrons (n0)
= Atomic number (Z) + number of neutrons (n 0)
Atomic number (Z) = number of protons (p+) = number of electrons
(e-)
Number of neutrons (n0) = Mass number (A) - number of protons (p+)

Note:
Protons are positive charge, electrons are negative charge and neutrons are
neutral or no charge.

Let us try this

Fill in what is missing in the ZApen table.

Element
Z A (p+) (e-) (n0)
Symbol

Mg 12 24 12 12 12
Al 13 27 13 13 14

= 12
For Mg:

Z is 12, = #p+ and #e- which is For Al: p+ is 13 = A and #e-

12
which is 13
no = A - p+ A = p + no

= 24 – 12 = 13 + 14
= 27

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The synthesis of new elements
Most of the elements are found naturally, but there are some elements can be
produced in the laboratories. The scientists used particle accelerator to
synthesize new synthetic elements. The particle accelerator is a device used
to speed up the electrically charged atomic particles or subatomic particles by
using magnetic and electrical fields.

In 1930, the element 92, Uranium was the heaviest element discovered at that
time. The eagerness of scientists to study and discover the behavior and
characteristics of the elements challenged them to create new elements. By
the year 1937, Ernest Lawrence used linear particle accelerator in creating
element 43 by bombarding the atoms of molybdenum with atomic number 42
with fast moving electrons. He named this element 43 as Technetium. The
first man-made element.

In 1940, the element astatine with atomic number 85 is synthesized by the

collaboration of three great scientists, Emilio Segre, Kenneth Mackenzie and
Dale Corson by bombarding the atoms of element bismuth with atomic
number 83 using the fast moving alpha particle. In the same year, Edwin
McMillan used particle accelerator to bombard uranium with neutrons that
led him to discover the element with atomic number 93. He called it
neptunium. In the late 1940, the four scientists namely, Glenn Seaborg,
Edwin McMillan, Joseph Kennedy and Arthur Wahl synthesized element 94
by bombarding the uranium with deuterons in the cyclotron. The cyclotron is
a particle accelerator used in alternating electric field to accelerate particles
that move in a spiral path in the presence of a magnetic field. The deuterons
are particles made of a proton and a neutron. They named the element 94 to
plutonium. In the periodic table of elements, elements with atomic number
higher than 92 are belong to the group or family of transuranium elements.
Since, elements neptunium and plutonium have atomic number 93 and 94
respectively are grouped in the family of transuranium elements. These
elements are unstable and radioactively decay into other elements. The
transuranium elements are created using nuclear reactors or particle
accelerators. The particle accelerators are used to create new elements in the
laboratory. These elements are synthesized in the laboratory and considered
as synthetic elements.

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 What is It

After reading the text in What’s new. Let us see how far you have learned this topic.
Fill in what is missing in the ZApen table. Use a separate sheet of paper for your
answer.

Element
Z A (p+) (e) (n0)
Symbol

Ar 18 40
O 8 8
N 7 7
P 15 25
Bi 83 126
Be 4 9
Mo 42 54

What’s More

Match the term in Column A to Column B. Use a separate sheet of paper for
your answer.
B
A
a. Fast moving alpha particle.
_____1. Transuranium elements
b. Plutonium.
_____2. Ernest Lawrence
c. Heaviest element.
_____3. Dale Corson et.,al. d. Unstable and decay radioactively.

_____4. Glenn Seaborg et.,al. e. Linear particle accelerator.

_____5. Uranium

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 What I Have Learned

1. The atomic number indicates the number of protons found in

the nucleus of each element.
2. Mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of
an atom.
3. The deuteron is a devise used in increasing the electrically charged atomic
particle.
4. The particle accelerators are used to create new elements in the laboratory.
5. The cyclotron is a particle accelerator used in alternating electric field to
accelerate particles that move in a spiral path in the presence of a magnetic
field.
6. The mass number symbol is capital A, for the atomic number capital Z.
7. The transuranium elements are unstable and radioactively decay into other
elements.

What I Can Do

Using the periodic table of elements. Determine the atomic number and predict
the name of element and element symbol from the given number of electrons.
Use a separate sheet of paper for your answer.

Number of
Atomic Number Element name Element symbol
electrons

29

30
19

14

26
 Assessment

Multiple Choice. Read and analyze each question. Write the letter
that corresponds to your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. The atomic number is based from the number of__________.

a. protons and electrons in the c. electrons and neutrons in the atom’s
nucleus. atom’s nucleus.
b. protons in the atom’s d. electrons in the atom’s nucleus.
nucleus.
2. The mass number of an element is determined by________.
a. the number of protons in the c. the number of electrons in the nucleus.
nucleus.
b. the number of protons and d. the number of protons and neutrons in the
nucleus. electrons in the nucleus.
3. The atomic number is equal to the number of ______.
a. electrons and neutrons c. protons and electrons
b. protons and neutrons d. mass number and electrons
4. The atomic number of lithium is 3, how many numbers of protons and electrons
will the lithium have?
a. 3 protons and 6 electrons c. 2 protons and 1 electron
b. 1 proton and 2 electrons d. 3 protons and 3 electrons
5. The mass number of magnesium is 24, therefore, magnesium atom has______.
a. 12 protons and 12 electrons c. 12 protons and 12 neutrons
b. 12 electrons and 12 neutrons d. 24 protons and 0 neutrons 6. The element
technetium has an atomic number of_______.
a. 43 c. 93
b. 45 d. 94
7. What is the element discovered by Edwin McMillan?
a. Technetium c. Neptunium
b. Plutonium d. Uranium
8. The particle accelerator is used to synthesize new elements, which of the following
pairs is the correct match?
a. Linear particle accelerator to c. Cyclotron particle accelerator
technetium to uranium
b. Fast moving alpha particle to d. Chemical particle accelerator
plutonium to neptunium
9. A particle that is composed of a proton and neutron.
a. Cyclotron c. Deuteron
b. Dendeteron d. Celeron
10. Which of the following elements is belong to the family of transuranium elements?
a. Carbon c. Molybdenum
b. Technetium d. Plutonium
 Additional Activities

Using the periodic table of elements. Complete what is missing in each box. Use
a separate sheet of paper for your answer.
Element
# of p+ Z A # of e- # of no Element name
symbol

52

22

19

83

32
PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT YOU ARE ONLY GOING TO ANSWER
THE FOLLWING ACTIVIES. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO WRITE THE
MODULE # and WEEK # IN YOUR ANSWER SHEETS AND LABEL
ALL THE ACTIVITIES.

Task #1 = Assessment

Task # 2 Additional Activities