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Science Project: Model of Zinc

The situation is I have do do a Science project for class and were supposed to make a model of zinc, but me and my partner know most everything except, how to make one

Brittany E [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Joplin, Missouri
2003

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Brittany, are you looking to make a model of a zinc atom? That's got 30 protons and electrons with 35 neutrons, with the electrons in a 2-8-18-2 shell arrangement. Remember that electrons have roughly one two-thousandth the mass of the proton, so if you use marbles to represent electrons, you should use 16 pound bowling balls to simulate protons.

If you're looking to make a model of the hexagonal close packed unit cell of zinc (showing how the atoms are arranged in their crystalline pattern) then you'll get 7 balls, (I'd use ping pong balls) and place them on a table as close as you can- they'll be 6 around the central ball. Take three balls, and put them on top of the seven, forming kind of a triangle. Then take another set of seven (ideally already glued together) and place them on top the three, directly above the original seven. There you go!

If you're just looking to make say, a model aircraft carrier out of zinc, I'd use the lost styrofoam process, with probably 200 degrees of superheat- you want that styrofoam completely gone.

Hope this makes sense!

Lee Gearhart
metallurgist - E. Aurora, New York
2003

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May 9, 2009

Hello sir,

I am doing the same project -- building a Zinc Atom and this information was very helpful
so after I say thank you, I was wondering if you could specify what "2-8-18-2" shell means

Samantha C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- TALLASSEE, ALABAMA

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Hi, Samantha. Scientists find it useful to picture electrons as orbiting the nucleus sort of like the planets orbit the sun. So this means there would be 2 electrons 180 degrees apart in Mercury's orbit, 8 at 45 degrees apart in Venus', 18 in place of Earth, and 2 in place of Mars.

When you get down to the size of electrons the world doesn't really look and work quite the way it does on a larger scale (actually, it doesn't "look" at all, since this stuff is smaller than it is possible to resolve optically), so this representation is not exactly true, but it is useful.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 2009

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I am doing a similar project with my niece. We are so lost.. The directions say to show all the sub-atomic parts including nucleus, electron shells (show each shell & indicate each shells electron)
It goes on to say remember electrons repel each other and repel each other so they should alternate shells at right angles...

I understand after reading this that there are 35 neutrons, 30 protons and 30 electrons. Where do I go from there? HELP

Asja T [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Fontana California
December 13, 2009

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December 14, 2009

Hi, Asja. I can't say whether the problem is with the assignment, or the teacher, or your niece not applying herself enough, but here's the thing: your niece is supposed to already understand all this stuff, and the model is just to reinforce her understanding and demonstrate it. And the problem seems to be that your niece doesn't yet know what they want her to know, and is trying to build a model that proves that she does :-)

Does she clearly understand the nucleus and its protons & neutrons, and that she has to glue the 65 nuclear particles together into a ball to represent it? Is her question is only about how to represent the electron "shells"?

Did she understand the analogy to the solar system, and to build the electron shells as a ring of 2, then a larger ring of 8, then a larger ring of 18, then a larger ring of 2?

If all of that was clearly understood, then the remaining issue is: "remember electrons repel each other so they should alternate shells at right angles". I personally feel that this is silly because the location of the electrons is actually a quantum phenomena which doesn't obey macro physical laws anyway (which is why they are called electron 'shells' rather than 'rings') -- how can you put concentric shells at right angles?. But if the teacher wants alternating rings at right angles, lay the first ring parallel to the tabletop, stand the second ring up like a steering wheel, set the third ring like a steering wheel viewed from the end of the table (the three axis are now mutually perpendicular), and lay the fourth ring parallel to the tabletop again. Good luck!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

I am also making a zinc atom model and wanted to say thank you because this was so helpful!

Shelby P [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Miami, Florida
March 18, 2010

I am also doing the same project, but the teacher is asking for the Bohr model of it and also, I only have one big styrofoam ball for the neutrons. I've never made an atomic model and thought there was supposed to be one big ball, like a nucleus.

David K [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Atlanta, Georgia USA
March 4, 2012