In this post, we’ll cover the basics of atomic structure. We will review the components of an atom, the atomic number, atomic mass, and the difference between elements and compounds. By the end of this post, you’ll have a solid understanding of the atom and its role in chemistry.
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What We Review
What is the Structure of an Atom?
Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of matter. The atom consists of three main components: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Each component has a unique role in the structure of an atom. The way these components interact can also determine an atom’s properties.
Protons
Protons are positively charged particles located in the nucleus of an atom. Each proton has a mass of approximately 1 atomic mass unit (\text{amu}), or 1.67 \times 10^{-27}\text{kilograms}. The atomic number refers to the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus. It also helps to determine the identity of the element. For example, all carbon atoms have 6 protons in their nucleus, while all oxygen atoms have 8 protons.
Neutrons
Neutrons are neutral particles that are also found in the nucleus of an atom. Like protons, they have a mass of approximately ]latex]1 \text{ amu}[/latex]. The number of neutrons in an atom can vary. Isotopes refer to atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. As you’ll soon see, isotopes of an element have the same atomic number but different atomic masses.
Electrons
Electrons are negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom in shells. At 9.11\times 10^{-31}\text{ kg}, they have a much smaller mass than protons and neutrons. They are also responsible for the chemical properties of an element. The number of electrons in an atom is equal to the number of protons, which makes the atom electrically neutral.
View the video below for an overall review of the atom. In the next section, we’ll explore the atomic number and mass and how they relate to the structure of an atom.
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Atomic Number
What is the Atomic Number?
The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons found in its nucleus. This number is unique to each element. We represent the atomic number with the symbol Z. For example, the atomic number of carbon is 6 because a carbon atom has 6 protons in its nucleus.
The Atomic Number on the Periodic Table
The periodic table organizes elements by their atomic number. Elements in the periodic table increase in atomic number as you go across the rows and columns. Each column is a group and each row is a period. Elements in the same group have the same number of valence electrons and similar chemical properties. For example, all elements in group 1 of the periodic table have one valence electron and are highly reactive metals.
To find the atomic number of an element, simply look at its place in the periodic table. The atomic number is the value above the element’s symbol in the table. For example, the atomic number of lithium (Li) is 3, as it is the third element in the periodic table.
Let’s take the example of nitrogen, which has an atomic number of 7. This means that a nitrogen atom has 7 protons in its nucleus as well as 7.
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Atomic Mass
What is the Atomic Mass?
The atomic mass of an atom is the mass of the atom’s nucleus. This is equal to the sum of the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. The atomic mass is usually expressed in atomic mass units (\text{amu}). For example, the atomic mass of carbon is 12.01\text{ amu}. You can calculate this as the sum of its 6 protons and 6 neutrons.
What is the Difference Between Atomic Mass and Atomic Number?
The atomic number and atomic mass are two different properties of an atom. The atomic number represents the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus. Meanwhile, the atomic mass represents the mass of the nucleus. Recall that this is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons.
While the atomic number is a whole number, the atomic mass of an element may not be a whole number. This is because of the existence of isotopes. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. For example, carbon-12 and carbon-14 are isotopes of carbon. Carbon-12 has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, while carbon-14 has 6 protons and 8 neutrons. The atomic mass of carbon is the weighted average of the atomic masses of its isotopes. Therefore the atomic mass of carbon is approximately 12.01\text{ amu}.
To calculate the atomic mass, you need to know the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For example, nitrogen has an atomic number of 7 and an atomic mass of approximately 14.01\text{ amu}. This means that a nitrogen atom has 7 protons and 7 neutrons in its nucleus.
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Atoms on the Periodic Table
The periodic table provides a summary of all of this information. The atomic number, located at the top of the element’s box, indicates the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of that element. The symbol represents the shorthand for the element’s name. Lastly, the atomic mass or atomic weight, located at the bottom of the element’s box, indicates the average mass of an atom of that element.
Consider the example below for Boron. The B is the symbol for Boron. The value 5 in the top corner is the atomic number and the value 10.811 is the average atomic mass.

Practice reviewing more elements on the periodic table with these examples.
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Elements and Compounds
What is an Element?
Chemical means cannot break down an element, which is a pure substance. Atoms, which have the same number of protons in their nucleus, make up each element. This gives them the unique atomic number we just discussed. Scientists organize elements by their atomic number on the periodic table.
An example of an element is gold (Au). Many people value gold for its lustrous yellow color. In its pure form, gold atoms all have 79 protons in their nucleus, giving it an atomic number of 79.
What are Compounds?
A compound is a substance that is made up of two or more different elements that are chemically combined in a fixed ratio. The atoms in a compound are held together by chemical bonds. With the right amount of energy, someone or something can break the bonds holding the compounds together.
An example of a compound is water (H_2O). Water is a colorless, odorless liquid that is essential to life on Earth. Water molecules consist of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
What is the Difference Between an Element and a Compound?
The main difference between an element and a compound is that elements are made up of only one type of atom and compounds are made up of two or more different atoms.
Another key difference is that elements cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. On the other hand, compounds can be broken down into their individual elements. Elements have unique physical and chemical properties. The properties of a compound can be different from the properties of its constituent elements.
An example of the difference between an element and a compound is sodium (Na) and sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium is a soft, silvery metal that is highly reactive. Meanwhile, sodium chloride is a white crystalline solid that is commonly known as table salt. Sodium consists of only one type of atom, while sodium chloride is a compound that is made up of both sodium and chlorine atoms. For NaCl, they are chemically bonded together in a fixed ratio of 1:1.
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Conclusion
Understanding the structure of an atom and its properties is crucial to understanding the behavior of matter. The atomic number and atomic mass are ways to define and describe pure elements. Now that we understand the structure of the atom, we can apply this knowledge to the elements and compounds all around us.
FAQs
What is atom explanation with examples? ›
The defining particle that identifies an atom is the number of protons it contains. So, a particle that lacks protons is not an atom. However, even one lone proton is an atom (of hydrogen). Examples of atoms include single particles of the elements of the periodic table, such as sodium, uranium, argon, and chlorine.
What parts make up an atom worksheet answers? ›Atoms have 3 parts: protons, neutrons and electrons.
What is an atom answers? ›An atom is a particle of matter that uniquely defines a chemical element. An atom consists of a central nucleus that is surrounded by one or more negatively charged electrons. The nucleus is positively charged and contains one or more relatively heavy particles known as protons and neutrons.
How will you explain the idea of atom? ›Around 400 B.C.E., the Greek philosopher Democritus introduced the idea of the atom as the basic building block matter. Democritus thought that atoms are tiny, uncuttable, solid particles that are surrounded by empty space and constantly moving at random.
What are atoms and how are they related to elements illustrate your answer with an example? ›An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains all of the chemical properties of an element. For example, a gold coin is simply a very large number of gold atoms molded into the shape of a coin, with small amounts of other, contaminating elements.
What are the 4 types of atoms? ›There are hydrogen atoms, helium atoms, carbon atoms, oxygen atoms, and so on. Substances that are made of just one kind of atom are called elements. Atoms of the same element are all essentially alike, and they're different from atoms of other elements.
What are the 5 parts of an atom? ›Atoms consist of three basic particles: protons, electrons, and neutrons. The nucleus (center) of the atom contains the protons (positively charged) and the neutrons (no charge). The outermost regions of the atom are called electron shells and contain the electrons (negatively charged).
What are the 3 main parts of an atom? ›There are three subatomic particles: protons, neutrons and electrons. Two of the subatomic particles have electrical charges: protons have a positive charge while electrons have a negative charge.
What do atoms consists of ___ ___ and ____? ›Atoms are composed of particles called protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons carry a positive electrical charge, electrons carry a negative electrical charge and neutrons carry no electrical charge at all.
What are the four 4 main parts of an atom? ›Atom is made up of 4 parts, nucleus, protons, electrons and neutrons.
What is an atom 7th grade definition? ›
An atom is the basic unit of an element. It consists of protons, neutrons and electrons. Atoms can combine to form molecules as simple as water or as complex as DNA.
What is an atom quizlet? ›An atom is the smallest particle of an element that still has elemental properties. Atoms are made up of similar properties called protons, neutrons, and electrons. The smaller electrons orbit around a central nucleus of protons and neutrons. Atomic number. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
How do atoms exist in short answer? ›(a) Atoms are the basic building blocks of substances or matter (elements or compounds) around us. The atoms usually exist in the combined state as molecules or ions as these are highly reactive. These thus take part in the chemical reactions for example Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Chlorine etc.
What are atoms made of? ›Atoms are constructed of two types of elementary particles: electrons and quarks. Electrons occupy a space that surrounds an atom's nucleus. Each electron has an electrical charge of -1. Quarks make up protons and neutrons, which, in turn, make up an atom's nucleus.
What is the story of an atom? ›Democritus was a Greek philosopher who was the first person to use the term atom (atomos: meaning indivisible). He thought that if you take a piece of matter and divide it and continue to divide it you will eventually come to a point where you could not divide it any more.
How big is an atom? ›The atoms are very small that they can not be seen through naked eyes. An electron microscope is needed to watch an atom. The diameter of an atom is in the range of 0.1nm to 0.5nm.
What are the two main parts of an atom? ›Key Points
An atom is composed of two regions: the nucleus, which is in the center of the atom and contains protons and neutrons, and the outer region of the atom, which holds its electrons in orbit around the nucleus.
There are only about 118 different kinds of atoms, but millions of compounds.
What is an element in atoms? ›An element is a substance that is made entirely from one type of atom. For example, the element hydrogen is made from atoms containing just one proton and one electron.
What is an example of an element? ›Common examples of elements are iron, copper, silver, gold, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. At present, 94 are natural elements whereas 24 are synthetic. Thus, a total of 118 elements have been identified so far.
What are examples of atomic elements? ›
Oxygen, iron, calcium, sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen are examples of elements. Each element is composed of one particular kind of atom.
What are the 4 most important atoms? ›Scientists believe that about 25 of the known elements are essential to life. Just four of these – carbon (C), oxygen (O), hydrogen (H) and nitrogen (N) – make up about 96% of the human body.
What are the 6 most important atoms? ›These six elements include carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur and are collectively known as the biological elements or six elements of life.
How are atoms formed? ›Atoms are composed of a nucleus in the center containing protons, neutrons, and electrons surrounding the nucleus. Atoms are formed by the fission process of Uranium into smaller atoms. The Big Bang and Supernova events are real-life examples of the formation of atoms in a vast quantity.
What are the 5 most important atoms? ›1. Note that most living matter consists primarily of the so-called bulk elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur—the building blocks of the compounds that constitute our organs and muscles. These five elements also constitute the bulk of our diet; tens of grams per day are required for humans.
Why is the atom important? ›Atoms are important because they lay down the structure of all the matter present around us. Atoms combine in order to form molecules which are the fundamental particles of any substance or matter. Without atoms, the existence of molecules, elements, and matter is not possible.
How many parts does an atom have? ›Structure: Our current model of the atom can be broken down into three constituents parts – protons, neutron, and electrons. Each of these parts has an associated charge, with protons carrying a positive charge, electrons having a negative charge, and neutrons possessing no net charge.
What is the structure of the atom? ›Atoms consist of an extremely small, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. Although typically the nucleus is less than one ten-thousandth the size of the atom, the nucleus contains more that 99.9% of the mass of the atom.
What is each atom called? ›Atomic model
Each individual atom consists of smaller particles—namely, electrons and nuclei. These particles are electrically charged, and the electric forces on the charge are responsible for holding the atom together.
Atoms contain electrons, neutrons, and protons. Each element is defined by the number of protons in its nucleus.
What is the charge of an atom? ›
An atom consists of a positively charged nucleus, surrounded by one or more negatively charged particles called electrons. The positive charges equal the negative charges, so the atom has no overall charge; it is electrically neutral.
What is formed of two atoms? ›Covalent bonds and molecules
A covalent bond is formed when two atoms share electron pairs. In a covalent bond, the stability of the bond comes from the shared electrostatic attraction between the two positively charged atomic nuclei and the shared, negatively charged electrons between them.
The current standard table contains 118 confirmed elements as of 2021.
What size are neutrons? ›The mass of a neutron is slightly greater than the mass of a proton, which is 1 atomic mass unit (amu). (An atomic mass unit equals about 1.67×10−27 kilograms.) A neutron also has about the same diameter as a proton, or 1.7×10−15 meters.
Why is it called atom? ›But when it comes to the word atom, we have to go to ancient Greece of 400 B.C. And there was a brilliant philosopher named Democritus, and he proposed the Greek word atomos, which means uncuttable. And so as he explained, all matter was eventually reducible to discrete, small particles or atomos.
What is the brain of an atom called? ›At the center of an atom is a nucleus made up of two types of particles called protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge. The number of protons in the nucleus determines what element the atom is.
Are all atoms the same? ›But, all atoms are not the same. You know that the number of protons in an atom determines what element you have. For instance hydrogen has one proton, carbon has six. The difference in the number of protons and neutrons in atoms account for many of the different properties of elements.
How do we find atoms? ›An electron microscope can be used to magnify things over 500,000 times, enough to see lots of details inside cells. There are several types of electron microscope. A transmission electron microscope can be used to see nanoparticles and atoms.
Why are atoms real? ›Later experiments have demonstrated that the atom itself is composed of a number of subatomic particles, the major three being the proton, the neutron, and the electron. The fact that irrespective of the element, all these constituents are present, indicates that they are objectively real.
Where did atoms start? ›But more than 13 billion years ago, following the big bang, the early universe was hot, and all that existed were a few types of atoms, mostly helium and hydrogen. As atoms combined to form the first molecules, the universe was finally able to cool and began to take shape.
What are 3 facts about atoms? ›
- Atoms have a lot of space in them. The nucleus is so closely packed almost occupying very less to no space. ...
- The word “atom” has a Greek origin, meaning “indivisible” or “uncuttable”. For a long time atoms were believed to be indivisible. ...
- Your body is made up of billions of atoms.
An atom is not a living thing because it does not share the seven characteristics of living things which are: order, sensitivity or response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, regulation, homeostasis, and energy processing; In fact, it does not possess any of the characteristics.
How much space is in an atom? ›In reality, atoms do not contain any empty space. Rather, they are filled completely with spread-out electrons, making the shrinking of atoms impossible.
Who found atom first? ›John Dalton (1766-1844), a great chemist, really started the modern atomic hypothesis. His atom however was like a solid billiard ball. Later, J.J. Thomson (1856-1940), discoverer of the electron, proposed what we call the "plum pudding model" of the atom.
How long did atom live? ›Ultimately, even these stable atoms have a limit imposed by the lifetime of proton (>1025 years). Remember, though, that the best estimate of the present age of the universe is the much smaller number of 1010 years, so for all practical purposes, atoms are forever.
Who made the atom first? ›Thus, John Dalton known as father of atoms and atomic theory.
Are humans made of atoms? ›About 99 percent of your body is made up of atoms of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. You also contain much smaller amounts of the other elements that are essential for life.
Can you see an atom? ›No, you can't see an atom the way we're used to “seeing” things – that is, using our eyes' ability to perceive light. An atom is simply too small to deflect visible light waves, which means it won't show up under even the most powerful light-focusing microscopes, Oncel said.
Are atoms made of energy? ›Each atom has a set of energy levels associated with it. All of the atoms of a particular element have the same set of energy levels, but every element has a unique set of energy levels associated with its atoms. Knowing the energy levels identifies the element.
Is an atom a solid thing? ›Solids and liquids are bulk systems of interacting atoms/molecules, so no, a single atom cannot be a solid or a liquid. The (largely hypothetical) situation of an isolated atom in a vacuum would probably be considered a gas.
What part of the atom has no charge? ›
Atoms of all elements—except for most atoms of hydrogen—have neutrons in their nucleus. Unlike protons and electrons, which are electrically charged, neutrons have no charge—they are electrically neutral.
What is the biggest atom? ›Atomic radii vary in a predictable way across the periodic table. As can be seen in the figures below, the atomic radius increases from top to bottom in a group, and decreases from left to right across a period. Thus, helium is the smallest element, and francium is the largest.
How many atoms are in each human? ›The human body contains about a billion billion billion (10^27) atoms.
What are the basics of atoms? ›Atoms of all elements are made up of three basic building blocks, protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons are positively charged particles, neutrons are uncharged particles, and both are heavy in the subatomic scheme of things.
Are cells made of atoms? ›Yes.
These molecules are made up of atoms. For example, water is made by a combination of oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Proteins are made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and other elements. Therefore, as molecules are made of atoms, cells are also made up of numerous atoms.
Protons and neutrons are made of quarks, but electrons aren't. As far as we can tell, quarks and electrons are fundamental particles, not built out of anything smaller.
Is all matter made up of atoms? ›All matter is composed of atoms, and atoms are indivisible and indestructible. Elements are composed of identical atoms, but the atoms of each element are different and distinguishable from each other.
How do you explain what an atom is to a child? ›Atoms are the smallest building blocks of matter and make up everything around us. Every atom has a center called a nucleus, which is made of particles called protons and neutrons. Electrons move in electron shells around the nucleus. Atoms can bond to one another to form solids, liquids, or gases.
How do atoms exist give examples? ›(a) Atoms are the basic building blocks of substances or matter (elements or compounds) around us. The atoms usually exist in the combined state as molecules or ions as these are highly reactive. These thus take part in the chemical reactions for example Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Chlorine etc.
How do you find an atom example? ›To calculate the number of atoms first step is to calculate the number of moles. If the mass of an element/compound is given then divide the given mass by the molar mass of the element/compound to find the number of moles. In 1 mole of a substance, the number of atoms is or. 023 × 10 23 atoms.
What is a atom made of? ›
Given that these particles make up atoms, they are often referred to as subatomic particles. There are three subatomic particles: protons, neutrons and electrons. Two of the subatomic particles have electrical charges: protons have a positive charge while electrons have a negative charge.
What is an atom 5th grade definition? ›1. Atom: The smallest particle of an element that has the chemical properties of that element. 2. Element: A substance that cannot be broken down into any other substance. 3.
What is an atom 3rd grade definition? ›The tiny. particles called atoms are the basic building blocks of all matter. Atoms can be combined with other atoms to form molecules, but they cannot be divided into smaller parts by ordinary means.
What is an atom 6th grade definition? ›Atom- the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element, consisting of a nucleus containing combinations of neutrons and protons and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus by electrical attraction.
How do atoms create? ›Atoms are composed of a nucleus in the center containing protons, neutrons, and electrons surrounding the nucleus. Atoms are formed by the fission process of Uranium into smaller atoms. The Big Bang and Supernova events are real-life examples of the formation of atoms in a vast quantity.
How do atoms make? ›Atoms were created after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. As the hot, dense new universe cooled, conditions became suitable for quarks and electrons to form. Quarks came together to form protons and neutrons, and these particles combined into nuclei.
How do humans have atoms? ›The hydrogen atoms in you were produced in the big bang, and the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen atoms were made in burning stars. The very heavy elements in you were made in exploding stars.
Where does an atom live? ›Almost all of the mass (the proper word for "weight") of the atom is contained in the nucleus. Surrounding the nucleus is a cloud of electrons whose number equals that of the number of protons.
Where is an atom found? ›It is found in the nucleus. It has an electrical charge of one +1 and a mass of 1 atomic mass unit(amu). Atoms of any given element have a unique number of protons that is different from the numbers of protons of all other elements. Protons consist of fundamental particles called quarks and gluons.
Where is an atom located? ›Atoms are made up of protons and neutrons located within the nucleus, with electrons in orbitals surrounding the nucleus.