Atoms, Ions, & Isotopes

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What is an atom?

Back

The smallest unit of an element, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

NGSS.MS-PS1-5

Front

What is a proton?

Back

A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

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What is a neutron?

Back

A neutral particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Front

What is an electron?

Back

A negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom.

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What is an ion?

Back

An atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in a net charge.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-3

Front

What is an isotope?

Back

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Front

What does it mean for an atom to be neutral?

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An atom is neutral when it has an equal number of protons and electrons.

Front

What is the Bohr model?

Back

A model of the atom that depicts electrons orbiting the nucleus in fixed paths.

Front

What is the electron cloud model?

Back

A model of the atom that describes electrons as being in a cloud-like region around the nucleus, rather than in fixed orbits.

Front

What is the plum pudding model?

Back

An early model of the atom that proposed that electrons are embedded in a positively charged 'soup'.