large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_02_asimov_64kb_106
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_02_asimov_64kb
English
12904
If the sodium atom passed one of its electrons to a fluorine atom, both would have the stable configuration of neon—2 and 8. This, therefore, ought to have a great tendency to happen. IF THE SODIUM ATOM PASSED ONE OF ITS ELECTRONS TO A FLORINE ATOM BOTH WOULD HAVE THE STABLE CONFIGURATION OF NEEON TWO AND EIGHT THIS THEREFORE OUGHT TO HAVE A GREAT TENDENCY TO HAPPEN
lectrons in an atom existed in a series of shells. The innermost shell could hold only 2 electrons, the next 8, the next 18 and so on. It turned out that some electron arrangements were more stable than others. If only the innermost shell contained electrons and it were filled with the 2 electrons that were all it could hold, then that was a stable arrangement. If an atom contained electrons in more than one shell and the outermost shell that held electrons held 8, that was a stable arrangement, too. Thus, the helium atom has 2 electrons only, filling the innermost shell, and that is so stable an arrangement that helium undergoes no chemical reactions at all. The neon atom has 10 electrons—2 in the innermost shell, and 8 in the next—and it does not react. The argon atom has 18 electrons—2, 8, and 8—and it too is very stable. But what if an atom did not have its electron shell so neatly filled. The sodium atom has 11 electrons—2, 8, and 1—while the fluorine atom has 9 electrons—2 and 7. HOLD ONLY TWO ELECTRONS THE NEXT SHELL COULD HOLD EIGHT THE NEXT EIGHTEEN AND SO ON IT TURNED OUT THAT SOME ELECTRON ARRANGEMENTS WERE MORE STABLE THAN OTHERS IF ONLY THE INNERMOST SHELL CONTAINED ELECTRONS AND IT WERE FILLED WITH THE TWO ELECTRODES THAT WERE ALL IT COULD HOLD THEN THAT WAS A STABLE ARRANGEMENT IF AN ATOM CONTAINED ELECTRONS IN MORE THAN ONE SHELL AND THE OUTERMOST SHELL THAT HELD ELECTRONS HELD EIGHT THAT WAS A STABLE ARRANGEMENT TOO THUS THE HELIUM ATOM HAS TWO ELECTRONS ONLY FILLING THE INNERMOST SHELL AND THAT IS SO STABLE AN ARRANGEMENT THAT HELIUM UNDERGOES NO CHEMICAL REACTIONS AT ALL THE KNEON ATOM HAS TEN ELECTRONES TWO IN THE INNERMOST SHELL AND EIGHT IN THE NEXT ELECTRONE SHELL AND IT DOES NOT REACT THE ARGON ATOM HAS EIGHTEEN ELECTRONES TWO EIGHT AND EIGHT AND IT TOO IS VERY STABLE BUT WHAT IF AN ATOM DID NOT HAVE ITS ELECTRON SHELL SO NEATLY FILLED THE SODIOM ATOM HAS ELEVEN ELECTRONS TWO EIGHT AND ONE WHILE THE FLORIN ATOM HAS NINE ELECTRONS TWO AND SEVEN
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