Author

Gloria E. Cotton

With National Board Certification in secondary science, Gloria E. Cotton spent her career teaching high school chemistry in public school classrooms before retiring from the district. She explains atomic structure and fundamental chemical properties. Cotton now helps run hands-on lab experiments as a volunteer with a local teen science club.

What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?
Why Does Atomic Radius Increase as You Go Down a Group?
What Are the Properties of Halogens?
What Happens When an Atom Loses an Electron?
When Are Atoms Stable and How Do They Achieve Stability?
What Happens to an Atom When It Loses Electrons?
What Determines the Reactivity of an Atom?
What Was Dalton’s Experiment for the Atomic Theory?
Why Do Metals Lose Electrons and Nonmetals Gain Electrons?
What Determines an Atom’s Identity?
What Did Mendeleev Predict for the Periodic Table?
Why Can’t an Atom Lose or Gain a Proton?
What Is a Core Electron and How Do You Find It?
When Is an Atom Neutral? The Balance of Charges
Bohr Model: How Many Electrons in Each Shell?
Why Is Chlorine Reactive? Its Atomic Structure Explained
What Makes Elements Reactive? The Role of Electrons
What Is a Main Group Element on the Periodic Table?
What Is a Valence Shell and Why Is It Important?
Why Was Dalton’s Theory of the Atom Incorrect?
What Is Zeff in Chemistry and Why Does It Matter?
What Is the SI Periodic Table and How Is It Defined?
Is the Periodic Table Complete or Are There More Elements?
What Is the Valency of Oxygen and Why Is It 2?
What Is Atomic Size and How Is It Measured?
How to Find the Number of Electrons in an Element
Why Do Different Elements Emit Different Colors?
How Do Isotopes Differ From Each Other?
Why Is Hydrogen in Group 1 of the Periodic Table?
What Is the Electron Configuration of the Calcium Ion?