Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which...

Group 17 elements, known as halogens, are nonmetals. At room temperature, fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and iodine a solid. Astatine is a highly unstable radioactive element, so currently, most of its properties are unknown due to its short half-life. Tennessine is a synthetic element also predicted to be in this group. 

The electron affinity (EA) is the energy change for adding an electron to a gaseous atom to form an anion (negative ion).

Whether a bond is nonpolar or polar covalent is determined by a property of the bonding atoms called electronegativity. 

Chlorine isotopes exist as 35Cl and 37Cl in a 3:1 ratio, while bromine isotopes exist as 79Br and 81Br in a 1:1 ratio. The mass spectrum of alkyl halides typically produces two distinct molecular ion peaks, the molecular ion peak, [M], and the molecular ion plus two, [M + 2] peak. The relative heights of these two peaks are proportional to the isotopic abundance ratios of the halide. For example, 2‐chloropropane and 1‐bromopropane display two peaks with relative peak heights in a 3:1 and...

An element composed of atoms that readily lose electrons (a metal) can react with an element composed of atoms that readily gain electrons (a nonmetal) to produce ions through complete electron transfer. The compound formed by this transfer is stabilized by the electrostatic attractions (ionic bonds) between the oppositely charged ions.