Download Orbital Model of an Atom Lab

Orbital Model of an Atom Lab
Materials:
10 destructible ballpoint pens
target (on back)
Objective:
To understand how the orbital shapes are determined by modeling the probability of finding an
electron around a nucleus of hydrogen.
Procedure:
1. Place the target side up of this paper on the ground.
2. Holding the pens as high up as you can, drop them enough times for them to hit 100 times inside
the dark outer ring of the target.
Analysis:
1. Count the number of hits that occurred in
each sub-ring of the target and record it.
2. Plot your data as a bar graph.
46
# in Ring 1
42
# in Ring 2
38
# in Ring 3
34
# in Ring 5
30
# of hits
# in Ring 4
26
22
18
14
10
6
2
1
2
3
4
5
Ring #
Conclusions:
1. For this lab you modeled the probability of finding ONE electron in a CIRCULAR area around the
nucleus. What element did this represent? ________________
2. In a real atom, it is not very probably to find an electron close to the nucleus, nor very far from the
nucleus.
a. What percentage of your electron locations were close to the nucleus (in ring 1)? ______
b. What percentage of your electron locations were far from the nucleus (in ring 5)? _______
c. Considering your previous answers, explain one thing this lab does accurately model about an
s orbital cloud and one thing this lab does not accurately model. You should use at least two
sentences.
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3. Write a brief paragraph comparing and contrasting the quantum mechanical model of an atom to the
Bohr model of an atom.
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4. Why do you think many people persist in visualizing the atom according to the out-of-date Bohr
model as opposed to accepting the quantum-mechanical model?
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5. Compare and contrast your electron distribution (see your bar graph and question 2) to the graphic of
a galaxy below.
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Ring 5
Ring 4
Ring 3
Ring 2
Ring 1