Parts of an Atom
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Parts of an Atom

    There are three parts of an atom. These three parts are known as protons, electrons and neutrons. You can tell the difference by:


  1. Electrons have a negative charge. They are smaller and more numerous than the bigger protons and neutrons.
  2. Protons are positive and are located in the nucleus of an atom, along with the neutrons. Protons are like the name tag of an atom, because the number of protons defines the atom itself. Protons also have what scientists believe another part inside of them called quarks. This fact is not believed by all scientists because they have not seen it themselves or it just might be something else.
  3. Neutrons have no charge because they are neutral. Now, one might ask how did they discover neutrons if they do not have a charge. This question can be answered because of the extra weight in the nucleus of an atom. They also keep the protons in balance because they hold them together inside the nucleus.

Now here are some cool atom definitions that could become useful later:

1) nucleus: this is the center of an atom and it is made up of protons and neutrons connected through bonds.
2) ionic bonds: ionic bonds are when the the atoms give away or take on electrons so they can have a full, or empty, outer shell.
3) isotope: any of two or more types of an atom of a element with the same atomic number and nearly identical chemical behavior but with differing atomic mass or mass number and different physical properties.
4) covalent bonds: when two nonmetals share a valence electron.
5) metalic bonds: when atoms are transferred between atoms of the same metal.