Intro to Atomic Structure The Atom Intro to Atomic Structure
Atom: the smallest particle that can still be considered The Modern Model At the center of the atom is a tiny, dense nucleus that contains protons and neutrons. Surrounding the nucleus is a cloudlike region of electrons that are constantly moving in energy levels. Atom: the smallest particle that can still be considered an element
The Atom is made up of Particles “Subatomic Particles” Symbol Charge Mass Location Proton p+ + 1 amu Nucleus Neutron n Electron e- - 0.0005 amu Cloud (Energy Levels)
Important Facts Almost all the mass of an atom is concentrated in the nucleus The Atomic Number is equal to the # of protons The # of protons is equal to the # of electrons ( p+ = e- ) The Atomic Mass is equal to the sum of protons and neutrons Atoms of an element that have the same # of protons, but a different # of neutrons are called Isotopes.
1 Carbon Atom