Don't Trust Atoms!
They Make Everything Up! By Kyra Shill
The Function of Atoms
An atom is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons and are the building blocks of matter. The make up everything, such as yourself, your desk and even the air.
Protons
Protons have a positive charge. On the periodic table you can see how many protons the atom has by its atomic number. The protons are found in the atom's nucleus. The mass of a proton is 1 amu.
Electrons
Electrons have a negative charge and they are located on the electron cloud. On the first ring of the electron cloud there can be up to two electrons and on the next two rings there can be eight can have eight. The electrons on the last ring are called the valence electrons and are used for bonding. They are calculated on the periodic table by the atomic number.
Neutrons
Neutrons have no charge and are found with the protons in the nucleus. On the periodic table the amount of neutrons can be found by rounding the atomic mass and subtracting it from the atomic number. The mass of a neutron is 1 amu.
Valence Electrons
Valence electrons are the electrons on the outer ring of the orbital or electron cloud. Their number is determined by the amount of electrons on the outer ring. Their job is bonding and there can only be up to eight valence electrons.
Periodic table
Periods and groups
Periods are the seven rows across the table. The groups are the columns going down that help show the amount of valence electrons.
Calculating Protons, Electrons, and Neutrons
The atomic number shows the number of electrons on the electron cloud and the number of protons in the nucleus. The atomic mass is rounded and subtracted from the atomic number to find the number of neutrons in the nucleus with the protons.