What is the definition of atomic orbital (AO)? What are required contents in the lesson of structure of atomic electron shells for grade 10 students in Vietnam?

What is the definition of atomic orbital (AO)?

An atomic orbital is a concept that grade 10 students are introduced to in the chemistry curriculum. An atomic orbital is a spatial region around the atomic nucleus where the probability of finding an electron is highest (approximately 90%).

According to the Rutherford-Bohr atomic model, electrons orbit the nucleus in paths similar to how planets orbit the sun. The energy of an electron depends on its distance from the atomic nucleus.

In contrast, the modern atomic model describes electrons as moving very quickly around the nucleus in no definite path, resembling an electron cloud.

Atomic orbitals come in various shapes: spherical, and figure-eight.

Each atomic orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, referred to as a pair of electrons. If an AO has only one electron, it is called an unpaired electron. If an AO contains no electrons, it is termed an empty AO.

What is the definition of atomic orbital (AO)? What are required contents in the lesson of structure of atomic electron shells for grade 10 students in Vietnam?​ (Image from the Internet)

What are requirements for grade 10 students in Vietnam when learning the lesson of structure of atomic electron shells?

According to the General Education Program for the subject of Chemistry issued with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, the requirements for grade 10 students in Vietnam when learning the lesson of structure of atomic electron shells are as follows:

- Present and compare the Rutherford-Bohr model to the modern model describing electron movement in an atom.

- Define the concept of an atomic orbital (AO) and describe the shapes of AO (s, p), and the number of electrons in an AO.

- Explain the concepts of electron shells and subshells and their relationship to the number of subshells in a shell. Relate the number of AOs in a subshell and in a shell.

- Write the electronic configuration of an atom based on shells, subshells, and orbitals when given the atomic number Z of the first 20 elements in the periodic table.

- Predict the basic chemical properties (metal or non-metal) of an element based on the characteristics of the outer electron configuration of the atom.

What are content and requirements to be met in the core chemistry topics for grade 10 Chemistry in Vietnam?

According to the General Education Program for the subject of Chemistry issued with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, the content and requirements to be met in the core chemistry topics for grade 10 Chemistry are as follows:

Chemical Bonding

- Write Lewis formulas and use the VSEPR model to predict the geometry of simple molecules.

- Explain the concept of AO hybridization (sp, sp2, sp3) and apply it to explain bonding in some molecules (CO2; BF3; CH4;...).

Nuclear Reactions

- Briefly explain natural radioactivity and provide examples of natural radioactivity.

- Apply the conservation laws of mass number and electric charge to nuclear reactions.

- Briefly explain artificial radioactivity and nuclear reactions.

- Describe the applications of nuclear reactions in scientific research, daily life, and production.

- Describe notable applications of nuclear reactions: dating artifacts, applications in healthcare, energy, etc.

Activation Energy of Chemical Reactions

- Explain the concept of activation energy (in terms of its effect on reaction rate).

- Describe the impact of activation energy and temperature on reaction rate using the Arrhenius equation k = A e^(-Ea/RT).

- Explain the role of catalysts.

Entropy and Gibbs Free Energy Change

- Define Entropy S (a measure of disorder in a system).

- Explain the significance of the sign and magnitude of Gibbs free energy change (no need to explain what ΔrG is, just state: To determine the direction of a reaction, we use the Gibbs free energy change ΔrG) of a reaction (ΔG) to predict or explain the direction of a chemical reaction.

- Calculate ΔrGo using the formula ΔrGo = ΔrHo - T.ΔrSo from a provided table of ΔfHo and So values.