Understanding Atoms and Their Components

Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of everything in the universe. They are composed of three primary subatomic particles: protons, electrons, and neutrons.

Basics of Atoms

• Atoms are the smallest part of an element.
• There are 118 different kinds of atoms, each corresponding to a different element (e.g., gold, carbon, oxygen).

Subatomic Particles

1. Protons

   • Protons have a positive electrical charge.
   • The number of protons in an atom determines the element type.
   • This number is known as the Atomic Number.
   • Example:
     • Hydrogen has 1 proton.
     • Helium has 2 protons.
     • Lithium has 3 protons.
     • Oganesson has 118 protons.

2. Electrons

   • Electrons carry a negative electrical charge.
   • They form an electron cloud around the atom by zipping around the protons at high speeds.
   • Electrons are attracted to protons due to the electric force.
   • Atoms have the same number of electrons and protons to balance charges.

3. Neutrons

   • Neutrons are neutral (no electrical charge).
   • They provide stability to the atom by mitigating the repulsive electric force between protons.
   • A stronger force known as the strong nuclear force holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus.
   • Without neutrons, atoms would only be hydrogen due to the repulsion of positively charged protons.

Forces in Atoms

• Electric Force: The attraction between protons and electrons due to opposite charges.
• Strong Nuclear Force: Acts like glue to hold the nucleus together, overcoming the repulsion between protons.