Jonah Patel
The fundamental particles that constitute the nucleus of an atom are called nucleons, which include protons and neutrons. Protons carry a positive charge, while neutrons are electrically neutral. Together, they make up over 99.9% of the mass of an atom. The atomic number of an element is determined by the number of protons in its nucleus, while the mass number is the sum of the number of protons and neutrons. The nucleus was discovered by Ernest Rutherford in 1911, who later discovered the proton in 1919. James Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Particles constituting the nucleus of an atom | Protons and neutrons |
| Protons | Positively charged subatomic particles |
| Protons (cont'd) | Determine the atomic number of an element |
| Neutrons | Subatomic particles with no charge |
| Neutrons (cont'd) | Contribute to the mass of a nucleus |
| Neutrons (cont'd) | Reduce electrostatic repulsion inside the nucleus |
| Protons and neutrons | Manifestation of more elementary particles, called quarks |
| Protons and neutrons | Fermions |
| Protons and neutrons | Have approximately the same mass (about 1.67 x 10^-24 grams) |
| Protons and neutrons | Together make up more than 99.9% of the total atomic mass |
| Protons and neutrons | Occupy less than one ten-trillionth of the atomic volume |
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What You'll Learn
- Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the fundamental particles of an atom
- Protons are positively charged and define the nucleus' entire charge
- Neutrons are electrically neutral and contribute to the mass of the nucleus
- Electrons are negatively charged and surround the nucleus in an electron cloud
- Protons and neutrons are made up of more elementary particles called quarks
Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the fundamental particles of an atom
The mass of a proton, however, is not enough to explain the larger mass of the nucleus. This is where neutrons come in. Neutrons contribute to the mass of a nucleus nearly as much as protons, and they also explain the phenomenon of isotopes (same atomic number with different atomic mass). Neutrons are also electrically neutral particles, but they have approximately the same mass as protons, about 1.67 x 10^-24 grams, which scientists define as one atomic mass unit (amu) or one Dalton.
Electrons, on the other hand, are negatively charged and are located outside of the nucleus in an electron cloud. This electron cloud surrounds the nucleus of the atom, and there is usually a higher probability of finding an electron closer to the nucleus. Electrons have a much smaller mass compared to protons or neutrons, which is why it is often considered insignificant. The number of electrons usually matches the number of protons in the nucleus, and they play a crucial role in determining the chemical properties of a substance.
The discovery of these fundamental particles began in 1897 when J.J. Thomson discovered the electron. Later, in 1911, Ernest Rutherford discovered the nucleus and subsequently identified the proton in 1919 through his gold foil experiment. Finally, in 1932, James Chadwick discovered the neutron through his experiments with alpha particles and beryllium foil.
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Protons are positively charged and define the nucleus' entire charge
Protons are subatomic particles that form part of the nucleus of an atom. They are positively charged and define the entire charge of the nucleus, giving it its chemical identity. Protons were discovered by Ernest Rutherford in 1919 when he performed his gold foil experiment. In this experiment, Rutherford projected positively charged alpha particles at gold foil and observed their deflection. This led him to conclude that protons exist in the nucleus and carry a positive charge.
The atomic number of an element, which determines its chemical properties, is defined by the number of protons in the nucleus. Protons are fundamental particles that, along with neutrons and electrons, make up the atom. Neutrons, discovered by James Chadwick in 1932, are electrically neutral and contribute to the mass of the nucleus. They play a crucial role in reducing electrostatic repulsion inside the nucleus.
The nucleus, located at the center of the atom, is held together by the strong nuclear force, which acts between the positively charged protons and neutral neutrons. This force ensures the stability of the nucleus by counteracting the repulsive electrical force between the protons. The mass of the proton, however, is not sufficient to explain the larger mass of the nucleus. Neutrons contribute significantly to the mass, making up nearly as much as the protons.
The collective action of the positively charged nucleus is to hold the negatively charged electrons in their orbits around it. The number of electrons typically matches the number of protons in the nucleus, ensuring the overall electrical neutrality of the atom. The chemical properties of a substance are determined by the negatively charged electrons enshrouding the nucleus.
The discovery of the nucleus and protons by Rutherford challenged the earlier plum pudding model proposed by J.J. Thomson, which suggested that an atom consisted of negative electrons randomly scattered within a sphere of positive charge. Rutherford's experiments revealed that the positive and negative charges within the atom were separated, with the mass and positive charge concentrated in the nucleus.
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Neutrons are electrically neutral and contribute to the mass of the nucleus
Neutrons are a type of subatomic particle with no charge, meaning they are electrically neutral. They are bound into the atom's nucleus as a result of the strong nuclear force, along with protons, which are positively charged. Protons define the entire charge of a nucleus, and hence its chemical identity.
Neutrons contribute to the mass of the nucleus, accounting for nearly the same extent as protons. The mass of a neutron is slightly greater than the mass of a proton, with a rest mass of 1.67492749804 × 10^-27 kg, which is about 0.1% heavier. Neutrons and protons are commonly called nucleons, and together they make up more than 99.9% of the atom's mass.
The number of neutrons in the nucleus can vary, resulting in different isotopes of an element. For example, ordinary hydrogen contains one proton and no neutrons, but the isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium, have one and two neutrons, respectively, alongside the proton. Neutrons are responsible for nuclear reactions and creating precious elements.
Neutrons are composite particles made up of three smaller, elementary particles called quarks. Specifically, a neutron contains one 'up' quark and two 'down' quarks. The up quark has a charge of 2/3, while the down quark has a charge of 1/3.
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Electrons are negatively charged and surround the nucleus in an electron cloud
Electrons are negatively charged subatomic particles found in the outermost regions of atoms. They are located outside of the nucleus, in an electron cloud, which is the area surrounding the nucleus of an atom. The electron cloud is a more accurate representation of where electrons are found than the outdated Bohr model, which depicts the three basic subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, and electrons) in a simple manner. In the electron cloud, darker areas represent where the electrons are more likely to be found, and lighter areas represent where they are less likely to be found.
The concept of positive and negative charges is based on historical conventions. The labels "positive" and "negative" are used to distinguish between two types of charges, and these labels have some mathematical advantages. It is a matter of convention that protons are assigned a positive charge and electrons are assigned a negative charge. The total amount of charge and the charge distribution of an object determine its behaviour in electromagnetic fields. While the term "charge" is often used, there is no universally agreed-upon definition of what it means.
Electrons play a crucial role in the interaction between atoms. They surround the atomic nucleus in regions of space known as orbitals, where there is a high probability of finding an electron. The chemical properties of a substance are determined by these negatively charged electrons enshrouding the nucleus. The number of electrons usually matches the number of protons in the nucleus, resulting in a neutral atom. However, unequal amounts of protons and electrons create ions: positive cations or negative anions.
The mass of an atom is primarily derived from protons and neutrons, which have approximately the same mass. Electrons, on the other hand, are considerably smaller in mass than protons and neutrons, contributing very little to the overall atomic mass. The nucleus, which consists of positively charged protons and neutral neutrons, accounts for a significant portion of the atom's mass, typically more than 99.9%.
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Protons and neutrons are made up of more elementary particles called quarks
The nucleus of an atom consists of neutrons and protons, which are themselves made up of more elementary particles called quarks. Quarks are a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. They are the smallest particles known to exist and are not made up of other particles. They are held together by the strong nuclear force, which is the most powerful force involved with holding matter together. It is much stronger than the three other fundamental forces: gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak nuclear force.
Protons and neutrons are composite particles called hadrons, which are made up of quarks. Protons consist of two up quarks and one down quark, while neutrons consist of one up quark and two down quarks. Quarks have various intrinsic properties, including electric charge, mass, colour charge, and spin. They can have a positive or negative electric charge, and they can transform from one flavour to another through the weak interaction, one of the four fundamental interactions in particle physics.
The existence of quarks was first theorised in 1964 by physicists Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig, who proposed that quarks exist independently of one another. However, it was not until the early 21st century that the existence of "exotic" hadrons with more valence quarks, such as tetraquarks and pentaquarks, was discovered. Quarks are always found within hadrons, which include baryons (such as protons and neutrons) and mesons, or in quark-gluon plasmas.
The strong nuclear force that binds quarks inside hadrons is carried by another type of tiny elementary particle called gluons, which are exchanged between the quarks. Gluons have no electric charge, but they have three additional states of charge: positive and negative redness, greenness, and blueness. These so-called colour charges are just names and are not related to actual colours. The force that connects positive and negative colour charges is the strong nuclear force.
Quarks and gluons are indivisible and cannot be broken down into smaller components. They are the building blocks of protons and neutrons, which in turn are the building blocks of atomic nuclei. Protons define the entire charge of a nucleus and hence its chemical identity. Neutrons are electrically neutral but contribute to the mass of a nucleus. Together, they make up almost all of the mass of the atom.
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Frequently asked questions
The nucleus of an atom consists of neutrons and protons, which are themselves made up of more elementary particles called quarks. Protons are positively charged, while neutrons are electrically neutral.
Protons define the entire charge of a nucleus, and hence its chemical identity. Neutrons are electrically neutral but contribute to the mass of a nucleus to nearly the same extent as protons. They also reduce electrostatic repulsion inside the nucleus.
Quarks are elementary particles that are held together by the nuclear strong force in certain stable combinations of hadrons, called baryons. There are six types of quarks: up, down, strange, charm, top, and bottom.
