Shortcut Methods

Typical Numerical Values for Structure of Atom-B Topic in JEE and CBSE Board Exams

1. Atomic Number (Z):

  • Hydrogen (H): Z = 1
  • Helium (He): Z = 2
  • Carbon (C): Z = 6
  • Sodium (Na): Z = 11
  • Oxygen (O): Z = 8
  • Aluminum (Al): Z = 13

2. Mass Number (A):

  • Carbon-12 (C-12): A = 12
  • Nitrogen-14 (N-14): A = 14
  • Oxygen-16 (O-16): A = 16
  • Sodium-23 (Na-23): A = 23
  • Aluminum-27 (Al-27): A = 27
  • Uranium-238 (U-238): A = 238

3. Number of Neutrons (N):

  • Carbon-12 (C-12): N = 6
  • Nitrogen-14 (N-14): N = 7
  • Oxygen-16 (O-16): N = 8
  • Sodium-23 (Na-23): N = 12
  • Aluminum-27 (Al-27): N = 14

4. Isotopes:

  • Carbon-12 (C-12), Carbon-13 (C-13), and Carbon-14 (C-14) are isotopes of carbon.
  • Nitrogen-14 (N-14), Nitrogen-15 (N-15), and Nitrogen-16 (N-16) are isotopes of nitrogen.

5. Electron Configurations:

  • Hydrogen: 1s¹
  • Helium: 1s²
  • Carbon: 1s², 2s², 2p²
  • Sodium: 1s², 2s², 2p⁶, 3s¹
  • Oxygen: 1s², 2s², 2p⁴
  • Aluminum: 1s², 2s², 2p⁶, 3s², 3p¹

6. Quantum Numbers:

  • For a 2s electron: n = 2, l = 0, ml = 0, ms = +1/2 or -1/2
  • For a 3d electron: n = 3, l = 2, ml = -2, -1, 0, 1, or 2, ms = +1/2 or -1/2

7. Atomic Radii:

  • Hydrogen: 53 pm
  • Helium: 31 pm
  • Carbon: 77 pm
  • Nitrogen: 74 pm
  • Oxygen: 66 pm
  • Aluminum: 143 pm

8. Ionization Energy:

  • Hydrogen: 1312 kJ/mol
  • Helium: 2372 kJ/mol
  • Carbon: 1086 kJ/mol
  • Nitrogen: 1402 kJ/mol
  • Oxygen: 1314 kJ/mol
  • Aluminum: 579 kJ/mol

9. Electron Affinity:

  • Hydrogen: -72.8 kJ/mol
  • Helium: 0 kJ/mol (No electron affinity)
  • Carbon: -122 kJ/mol
  • Nitrogen: -4 kJ/mol
  • Oxygen: -141 kJ/mol
  • Aluminum: 43.9 kJ/mol

10. Nuclear Structure:

  • Proton mass: ~1.6726 x 10⁻²⁷ kg (1 atomic mass unit)
  • Neutron mass: ~1.6749 x 10⁻²⁷ kg
  • Strong force: Mediated by gluons, holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus
  • Weak force: Responsible for certain types of radioactive decay and neutrino interactions
  • Radioactive decay: Processes such as alpha, beta, and gamma decay that transform unstable nuclei