What is atomic structure?
Atomic structure is an atom’s structure- one positively charged nucleus with negatively charged electrons circling it.
What are atoms made of?
Atoms are made of three particles
- Protons
- Neutrons
- Electrons
Protons and neutrons make up the Nucleus. At the same time, electrons circle around the nucleus.
What are Protons?
Protons are positively charged particles found inside the nucleus of an atom. They help identify the atom – different elements will have a different number of protons in the nucleus. They are equal to the atomic number of the atom and contribute to the atomic mass (found on the periodic table). They are also equal to the number of electrons that an atom has.
What are Neutrons?
Neutrons are also found in the nucleus of the atom. They have no charge and contribute to the atomic mass.
What are Electrons?
Electrons are negatively charged particles that circle the atom’s nucleus; They circle so fast that they create an electron cloud around the nucleus. However, the mass is insignificant, so they do not contribute to the atom’s atomic mass.
There is the same amount of electrons as protons in the nucleus.
What is the nucleus?
The nucleus is the nucleus of the atom and comprises protons and neutrons. This is the bundle of particles that the electrons circle.
Atomic structure of different elements
An atom’s number of protons and electrons will determine which element it is. For example, hydrogen is made of one positively charged proton and one negatively charged electron that circles the nucleus.
You can also find the atomic structure on the periodic table of elements.
How do I use the periodic table to determine the atomic structure of an element?
The atomic number at the top of each element tells us how many protons are in the nucleus. In addition, because atoms have the same number of electrons as protons, the atomic number can also tell us how many electrons an atom has.
The atomic mass is the number at the bottom of each element. Subtracting the atomic number from the atomic mass will give you the number of neutrons that are found in the nucleus
