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  Home >> Inorganic Chemistry Dictionary >> Atom - Auger Effect

Asymmetry
a property of lacking symmetry, in molecular or crystal structure. e.g., central C-atom in tartaric acid.

Atmolysis
refers to the separation of gases by using their different rates of diffusion.

Atom
the smallest indivisible particle of an element that can exist, the building bricks with which everything is made. Atoms are small particles; 100 million placed end-to-end would measure 1 cm. They are made up of even smaller subatomic particles.

Atomic hydrogen
gaseous hydrogen whose molecules are dissociated into atoms.

Atomic mass
atoms have different masses if they contain different numbers of protons, neutrons and electrons. Because these particles are so small the mass of an atom is tiny. It is not usual to refer to the mass of an atom in grams or kilograms so we normally compare the mass of one atom with a standard mass. This is called the relative atomic mass (A).

Atomic number (Z)
the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. All atoms of the same element have the same atomic number, e.g., sodium atoms all contain 11 protons. In a neutral atom the number of electrons equals the atomic number.

Atomic theory
the assumption that matter is composed of particles called atoms and that these are the limit to which matter can be subdivided.

Atomic weight
the relative mass of an atom based on a scale in which a specific carbon atom (car-bon 12) is assigned a mass value of 12. Abbreviated as at. wt.

Atomic volume
the volume occupied by 1 gram atom of an element in the solid state.

Atomicity
refers to the number of atoms per molecule of a compound methane, for instance has an atomicity of five.

Atomize
a process to blow liquid through a fine jet.

Au
gold

Auger effect
refers to a phenomenon by means of which an excited atom may be de-excited by emitting an electron. For instance, the atom may be excited by absorption of an X-ray and may also be de-excited by re-emitting an X-ray. The Auger effect and de-excitation by means of X radiation are therefore two phenomena competing with one another.

Auric
gold (III) compounds.

Autoclave
a pressure-cooker like apparatus used to sterilize materials with steam under pressure.

It is also used for reaction between gases under pressure and liquid or solid reactants.

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