Atomic Structure (Proton, Neutron and Electron)

Every piece of matter, from grains of sand to the vast oceans, is made up of atoms—the basic building blocks of all matter.

Atoms are unbelievably tiny, measured in units of picometers, which is around one trillionths of a meter.

The size of atoms varies across different elements. For instance, hydrogen, the smallest atom, is only about 30 picometers wide, while cesium, a larger atom, can reach over 250 picometers.

But what’s inside an atom? At the center is the nucleus—a tiny, dense core packed with protons and neutrons.

Protons carry a positive charge, while neutrons are neutral. Together, they make most of the atom’s mass.

Also, a cloud of fast-moving, negatively charged electrons surrounds the nucleus. Interestingly, electrons are much smaller than protons and neutrons.

In an atom, the number of protons determines the element. Also, atoms are overall neutral because they have the same number of electrons and protons.

For example, a hydrogen atom contains one proton and one electron, whereas a carbon atom has six of each.