Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Structure of the Atom


Hi everyone 
Last time I discussed the organization of the periodic table. As we know the periodic table contains 118 elements. Each element has a name, symbol, weight, and atomic number. So, all matter (everything what is around us) is made of elements (atoms). An atom is like a tiny solar system. In the center of the atom is the nucleus, which is a group of protons and neurons. The protons have a positive electric charge while the neutrons are electrically neutral. The nucleus makes up almost all of an atom’s mass or weight. Spinning at fantastic speeds around the nucleus are smaller and lighter particles called electrons that have a negative electric charge.  An atom has the same number of electrons (negative charge) and protons (positive charge) to make the atom in an exact balance—it has zero net charge.
For example
A Carbon C atom has six protons in its nucleus and six electrons outside its nucleus, which mean the element has zero net charge.

No comments:

Post a Comment