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ATOM & ITS STRUCTURE

 

What is an Atom?

An atom is the fundamental, neutral particle of matter. An atom has electrons in its valence shells outside of the nucleus, which is made up of protons and neutrons in the center. Atoms are extremely small, typically having a width of around 100 picometers. The nucleus contains more than 99.94% of an atom's mass. 

The protons have a positive electric charge, the electrons have a negative electric charge, and the neutrons have no electric charge. The atom is electrically neutral if the number of protons and electrons is the same. Ions (cations and anions)are atoms that have a total charge that is either negative or positive if they have more or fewer electrons than protons. 

What is the Structure of an Atom?

An atom has a central nucleus that is surrounded in its valencies (shells) by one or more electrons that are negatively charged. Protons and neutrons, two relatively heavy particles, are found in the positively charged nucleus. Therefore, an atom's structure consists;

  • Electrons
  • Protons
  • neutrons  

What is the Electron?

An electron is an adversely charged subatomic molecule that can be either bound to an iota or free (not bound). One of the three primary types of particles found within an atom is an electron that is bound to that atom. Electricity, magnetism, chemistry, and thermal conductivity are just a few of the physical phenomena in which electrons are involved. 

They also participate in gravitational, electromagnetic, and weak interactions. In fields like chemistry and nuclear physics, interactions involving electrons with other subatomic particles are of interest. 

Electrons are used in a lot of things, like tribology, also known as frictional charging, electrolysis, electrochemistry, battery technologies, electronics, welding, cathode-ray tubes, photo electricity, photovoltaic solar panels, electron microscopes, radiation therapy, lasers, gaseous ionization detectors, and particle accelerators. 

Other uses for electrons include welding, cathode-ray tubes, photo electricity, and photovoltaic solar panels.  J. J. Thomson discovered the electron in 1897. An electron has 9.1093837015(28)×10−31 kg mass and −1 e as charge. Electrons are denoted by symbols e, Î²−    

What is the Proton?

A proton is a stable subatomic particle with a positive electric charge of +1 e elementary charge and the symbol p, H+, or 1H+. Its mass is somewhat not exactly that of a neutron and multiple times the mass of an electron (the proton-electron mass proportion). 

Together, protons and neutrons are referred to as "nucleons," and their masses are approximately one atomic mass unit. Eugen Goldstein was the first person to observe protons as H+ in 1886. Recognized in different cores (and named) by Ernest Rutherford (1917-1920). Every atom's nucleus contains one or more protons. 

The attractive electrostatic central force that holds the atomic electrons together is provided by them. The quantity of protons in the core is the characterizing property of a component and is alluded to as the nuclear number (addressed by the image Z). 

The number of atomic electrons and, as a result, the chemical properties of an element are determined by its atomic number, which is unique to that element because each element has its own unique number of protons. 

What is the Neutron?

The neutron is a subatomic particle with the symbol
 n
 or 
n0
. It has a mass that is slightly greater than that of a proton and a charge that is neutral (not positive or negative). 

Atomic nuclei consist of protons and neutrons. Both protons and neutrons are referred to as nucleons due to their similar behavior within the nucleus and their similar mass of approximately one atomic mass unit. James Chadwick made the discovery of the neutron in 1932. 

The nuclear force binds a number of protons (Z, the atomic number) and neutrons (N, the neutron number) together to form an atomic nucleus. The chemical properties of an atom are determined by its atomic number, while the neutron number is used to identify an isotope or nuclide. 

Despite the fact that they refer to chemical and nuclear properties, the terms isotope and nuclide are frequently used interchangeably. Nuclides with the same atomic number but different neutron numbers are called isotopes. Isotopes are elements with different atomic numbers but the same number of neutrons.  


The nuclear mass number, A, is equivalent to the amount of nuclear and neutron numbers. Isobars are nuclides with different atomic and neutron numbers but the same atomic mass.  

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