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Unit 3: Matter Page 13
made up of smaller little particles,
which are made of smaller little
particles and so on. Atoms can
have anywhere from only one
proton and one electron (a
hydrogen atom) to over 300
protons, neutrons and electrons in
one atom. It is the number of
protons that determines the kind of
atom an atom is, or in other words,
the kind of element that atom is.
We’ll talk more about elements in a A periodic chart has a bunch of
bit. boxes. Each box represents one
element. In each box, is a ton of
Here science does us a bit of a information about each element. In
favor since it’s relatively easy to the upper left hand corner of each
tell how many electrons, protons, box is what’s called the atomic
and neutrons are in an atom. The number. The atomic number is the
number of protons, basically tells same as the number of protons in
you how many neutrons and the atom.
electrons are in the atom. If an
atom has 4 protons, it probably Once you know that, you know the
has 4 neutrons and 4 electrons. I probable number of electrons and
say probably because in the world neutrons in that atom! To the right
of atoms you can never be you see how oxygen would look in
completely sure. These guys do a periodic table. The atomic
some wacky stuff. Protons and number is eight so you know there
electrons are usually equal in an are eight protons, neutrons and
atom. The number of protons and electrons. Isn’t it nice when nature
neutrons are not necessarily equal makes things simple?
in some of the larger atoms.
We will talk more about this in
So how do you know how many future lessons but just to let you
protons are in an atom? Look at know, protons have a positive
the periodic chart. charge, neutrons have no charge,
and electrons have a negative
charge. Atoms like to be electrically
neutral so that’s why the number
of protons and electrons tend to be
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