Page 288 - Microsoft Word - LessonPlan-Overview.doc
P. 288
Unit 8: Chemistry Page 13
How far away is the electron from these atoms make absolutely
the nucleus? The distance from the everything.
electron to the nucleus is very
great. If you further magnified the All matter is made of atoms.
atom itself, so that now the atom Shoes, air, watermelons, milk,
(say, a hydrogen atom) were wombats, you, everything is made
magnified to the size of the earth, of atoms. Hundreds, and billions,
the nucleus (in this case, only one and zillions of atoms make up
proton) would be only about the everything. When you fly your kite,
size of a basketball at the center of it’s atoms moving against the kite
the earth — and the electron would that keep it in the air. When you
be found somewhere in earth's float in a boat, it’s atoms under
atmosphere. your boat holding it up.
What is an Atom? What’s Inside an Atom?
We’ve covered this stuff before, Atoms are made
but let’s review for a moment, as up of bunches of
it’s probably been a little while particles, but we
since we tackled these ideas will concern
together. Are you ready? ourselves with
only three of
My definition of an atom is the those particles for now. Atoms are
smallest part of stable matter. made of protons, neutrons, and
There are things smaller than an electrons. The protons and the
atom, but they are unstable. (Not neutrons make up the nucleus (the
like my Aunt Edna is unstable but center) of the atom.
rather like they can’t be around for
long on their own.) Atoms are very The electron wanders around
stable and can be around for long, outside the nucleus and, as we’ll
long, long periods of time. Atoms see next lesson, is a wacky little
rarely hang out on their own fellow. Protons and neutrons are
though. They are outgoing little made up of smaller little particles,
fellows, on the whole, and love to which are made of smaller little
get together in groups. These particles and so on. Atoms can
groups of atoms are called have anywhere from only one
molecules. A molecule can be proton and one electron (a
made of anywhere from two atoms hydrogen atom) to over 300
to millions of atoms. Together protons, neutrons and electrons in
© 2010 Supercharged Science www.ScienceLearningSpace.com
288
