The structure of an atom

Question 1

What is the overall charge of atoms and why

Answer 1

Atoms have an overall neutral charge, as they have the same amount of protons and neutrons, which cancel eachother out. Then you are just left with neutrons which have a neutral charge of 0 (no charge).

Question 2

What is the structure of an atom?

Answer 2

An atom has an extremely small central nucleus containing protons and neutrons. This is surrounded by electrons arranged in shells. There is no limit for how many shells atoms can have. The first shell holds up to 2 electrons, the second and third shells hold up to 8, and the rest of the shells are for any extra electrons required.

Question 3

Explain the nucleus of an atom in detail

Answer 3

Although the nucleus makes up less than one ten thousandth of the size of the atom, it makes up around 99.9% of the atom’s mass. This is because the mass of an electron is very small compared to a proton or a neutron.

Question 4

State the charges

Answer 4

Proton- positive charge of +1
Electron- negative charge of -1
Neutron- neutral charge of 0