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Welcome! Today we are going on a tiny adventure to explore the microscopic building blocks that make up our entire universe.
Have you ever wondered what you, your phone, and the air you breathe have in common? They are all made of incredibly tiny particles called atoms! An atom is the smallest unit of matter that still keeps the properties of an element.
Every single atom is made of three even smaller particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons cuddle up tightly in the center to form the nucleus, while tiny electrons zip around the outside in a fast-moving cloud.
An element is a pure substance made of only one specific type of atom. For example, a piece of pure gold contains only gold atoms, and the helium inside a balloon contains only helium atoms.
Identify the subatomic particles found in the nucleus of a Carbon atom, and state their electric charges.
- Recall that an atom is split into two main regions: the central nucleus and the outer electron cloud.
- Identify the particles that live inside the nucleus. These are protons and neutrons.
- Determine the charge of a proton. Protons have a positive (+) charge (remember 'P' for Positive).
- Determine the charge of a neutron. Neutrons have a neutral (0) charge (remember 'N' for Neutral).
- Conclude that Carbon's nucleus contains positively charged protons and neutral neutrons.