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Welcome! Today we are going on a tiny adventure to explore the atom, the building block of absolutely everything around us.
Atoms are the microscopic building blocks that make up your desk, your phone, and even you! Though they are incredibly tiny, they are made of three even smaller particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons.
At the very center of every atom is a dense core called the nucleus. The nucleus is home to protons, which have a positive (+) charge, and neutrons, which have no charge at all.
Zipping around the nucleus at lightning speed are tiny electrons, which have a negative (-) charge. They orbit in specific paths called electron shells, creating a protective cloud around the center.
An atom of Helium has 2 protons, 2 neutrons, and 2 electrons. Identify the total electric charge of this atom and locate where each particle is found.
- Find the total charge: Protons have a +1 charge each, so 2 protons = +2.
- Electrons have a -1 charge each, so 2 electrons = -2.
- Add the charges together: (+2) + (-2) = 0. The helium atom is electrically neutral!
- Locate the particles: The 2 protons and 2 neutrons live together in the nucleus at the center.
- Locate the electrons: The 2 electrons are found zipping around the nucleus in the outer electron shell.
