{"id":13312,"date":"2014-02-07T21:09:15","date_gmt":"2014-02-07T21:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=13312"},"modified":"2026-03-26T13:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:06:10","slug":"structure-of-atoms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/structure-of-atoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Structure of Atoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_TX7XvwKEyno\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_TX7XvwKEyno\" data-source-videoID=\"TX7XvwKEyno\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Structure of Atoms Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Structure of Atoms\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_TX7XvwKEyno:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_TX7XvwKEyno {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/729-structure-of-atoms-2.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_TX7XvwKEyno\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_TX7XvwKEyno\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Structure of Atoms\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_TX7XvwKEyno\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_TX7XvwKEyno\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_TX7XvwKEyno\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction goF_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"goF\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"goF_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"goF\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Atomic_Structure\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Atomic Structure<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Positive,_Negative,_and_Neutral_Charge\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Positive, Negative, and Neutral Charge<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Properties_of_Atoms\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Properties of Atoms<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Atomic_Structure_Worksheets\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Atomic Structure Worksheets<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label><input id=\"FAQs\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/label><input id=\"worksheets\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"worksheets\">Worksheets<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Atoms are the building blocks of the universe; they make up everything you see around you. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Atomic_Structure\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Atomic Structure<\/h2>\n<p>\nAt the very center of an atom is the <strong>nucleus<\/strong>, which is made up of small particles called <strong>protons<\/strong> and <strong>neutrons<\/strong>. Protons are very small, positively-charged particles, and neutrons are neutral particles that have no charge. <\/p>\n<p>Atoms can have just one proton or they can have multiple. A group of atoms that all have the exact same number of protons is called an element. For example, hydrogen is an element with one proton in the nucleus and carbon is an element with 6 protons.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Stable_Atoms\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Stable Atoms<\/h3>\n<p>\nIn general, an atom will have a specific number of neutrons in the nucleus, meaning the atom won\u2019t lose or gain any neutrons for a very long time. This is called a <strong>stable atom<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>Usually, a stable atom has an equal number of neutrons and protons, but there are exceptions. To find the mass number of an element you add the number of protons and neutrons together, so protons + neutrons = mass number. This gives us names like Carbon-12 or Carbon-14, which are types of carbon atoms used in carbon dating! <\/p>\n<p>Orbiting the atom\u2019s positively charged center are particles with a negative charge called <strong>electrons<\/strong>. The electrons are attracted to the positive nucleus, but they can escape their orbit by an outside force. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Positive,_Negative,_and_Neutral_Charge\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Positive, Negative, and Neutral Charge<\/h2>\n<p>\nAtoms have a certain number of electrons orbiting the nucleus. If the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons, the overall electric charge of the atom is neutral. If the atom has more electrons than protons, its charge will be negative. With fewer electrons than protons, the atom will have a positive charge. <\/p>\n<p>The electrons determine how atoms interact with each other. Atoms can share electrons to form <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/molecules\/\">molecules<\/a>, which are particles made up of many atoms. Water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. These three atoms share electrons.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Properties_of_Atoms\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Properties of Atoms<\/h2>\n<p>\nNow that we have talked about the different parts of the atom, let&#8217;s summarize a few properties of atoms. Atoms have an atomic number, which is the number of protons in the nucleus. The <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/periodic-table\/\">periodic table<\/a> arranges atoms in increasing atomic number. The charge of an atom is calculated based on the difference between the number of protons in the nucleus and the number of electrons orbiting the nucleus. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review<\/h2>\n<p>\nAn atom is made up of protons, electrons, and neutrons. The number of electrons will determine how atoms interact with one another and decide if the atom as a whole is positive, negative, or neutral. The mass number of an atom is found by adding together the number of protons and neutrons. And finally, the charge of an atom is determined by the number of protons and electrons in the atom.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you so much for watching, and see you guys next time!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"FAQs-spoiler\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align:center\"><span id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-list\">\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What is atomic structure?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>Atomic structure refers to the structure of an atom; a positvely charged nucleus consisting of both protons and neutrons, surrounded by negatively charged electrons.<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Atomscolor-corrected.jpg\" alt=\"Components of an Atom\" width=\"476.8\" height=\"471.6\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-181493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Atomscolor-corrected.jpg 2384w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Atomscolor-corrected-300x297.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Atomscolor-corrected-1024x1013.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Atomscolor-corrected-768x760.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Atomscolor-corrected-1536x1519.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Atomscolor-corrected-2048x2026.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2384px) 100vw, 2384px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What does the nucleus do?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The nucleus is the dense center of the atom that includes the atom&#8217;s neutrons and protons.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How do you find the number of protons?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>You can find the number of protons for an element by looking at the element&#8217;s atomic number on the periodic table. The atomic number represents the atom&#8217;s number of protons.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How do you find the number of neutrons?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>To find the number of neutrons an atom has, simply subtract the element&#8217;s atomic number from its mass number.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How do you find the number of electrons?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The number of atoms in a neutral atom is equal to the number of protons the atom contains.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What makes a stable atom?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>An atom is considered stable if the outermost shell is filled with electrons.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"worksheets-spoiler\">\n<h2 style=\"text-align:center;\"><span id=\"Atomic_Structure_Worksheets\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Atomic Structure Worksheets<\/h2>\n<div style=\"display: flex;flex-flow: row wrap;justify-content: center;\">\n<p style=\"width:100%;\">Use our free printable atomic structure worksheets for additional practice!<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align:center;max-width:300px;margin:15px;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Atomic Structure Worksheet<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Atomic-Structure-Worksheets.pdf\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/image_2022-02-11_130154.png\" alt=\"Atomic Structure Worksheet Worksheet Preview\" style=\"box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"buttonmltpctn\" style=\"width: 90%;color: black;font-size: 0.9em;\" data-uw-styling-context=\"true\">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align:center;max-width:300px;margin:15px;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Atomic Structure (Answer Key)<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Atomic-Structure-Worksheets-Answer-Keys.pdf\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Atomic-Structure-Worksheet-Answer-Keys-preview-resized.png\" alt=\"Atomic Structure (Answer Key) Worksheet Preview\" style=\"box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"buttonmltpctn\" style=\"width: 90%;color: black;font-size: 0.9em;\" data-uw-styling-context=\"true\">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/biology\/\">Return to Biology Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Biology Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99802,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-13312","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-matter-and-atoms-biology-videos","7":"page_type-video","8":"content_type-worksheets","9":"subject_matter-science"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13312"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280454,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13312\/revisions\/280454"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}