Chapter 6.1, Problem 3MI

Summary Introduction

To compare:

The terms in the atom, nucleus, electron, proton, and neutron by defining them.

Introduction:

Solid, liquid and gases are the three states of matter. The matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms. Atoms are the basis of everything. Each atom consists of electrons, protons and the neutrons.

Explanation of Solution

Atom is the smallest component of an element and a building block of matter. Atoms consist of smaller particles named neutrons, protons and electrons. Each atom has an identical number of electrons and protons. Thus, the overall charge of an atom is zero.

The nucleus is a small dense region located in the centre of an atom containing protons and neutrons.

Electrons (e^-) are the negatively charged particles of an atom. They are constantly moving across different energy levels called shells or orbitals outside of an atom nucleus.

Protons (p⁺) are the positively charged particles of an atom located in the nucleus of the atom.

Neutrons are the particles present in the nucleus along with proton. They do not have any charge on them.