Atoms & Elements

Front

What is an atom?

Back

An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element, consisting of a core of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons.

Front

What is the nucleus of an atom?

Back

The nucleus is the central part of an atom, containing protons and neutrons.

Front

Which subatomic particle is found farthest from the nucleus?

Back

The electron is found farthest from the nucleus.

Front

What is the atomic number of an element?

Back

The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity.

Front

What are isotopes?

Back

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Front

How do you determine the atomic mass of an element?

Back

The atomic mass is the weighted average mass of an element's isotopes, measured in atomic mass units (amu).

Front

What is the charge of a proton?

Back

A proton has a positive charge.

Front

What is the charge of an electron?

Back

An electron has a negative charge.

Front

What is the charge of a neutron?

Back

A neutron has no charge (it is neutral).

Front

How many electrons does a neutral atom have?

Back

A neutral atom has the same number of electrons as protons.