Atomic structure is the structure of an atom that consists of a nucleus at the center containing neutrons

and protons, while electrons are revolving around the nucleus. Atoms are made up of a very tiny,
positively charged nucleus that is surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The term
“atomic structure” explains the structure of an atom, which has a nucleus (center) that contains both
protons (positively charged) and neutrons (neutral). The center of the nucleus is circled by the
negatively charged electrons.

Democritus, the scientist who initially claimed that matter is formed of atoms, is credited with
developing the concepts of atomic structure and quantum mechanics. A great can be learned about
chemical reactions, bonds, and their physical characteristics from the study of the structure of an atom.
Later in the 1800s, John Dalton put out the first atomic structure scientific theory.

What is Atomic Structure?

The composition of an element’s nucleus and how its electrons are arranged around it are referred to as
the element’s atomic structure. Protons, electrons, and neutrons comprise most of the atomic structure
of matter.

The atom’s nucleus, which is made up of protons and neutrons, is surrounded by the atom’s own
electrons. The total number of protons in an element’s nucleus is expressed by the element’s atomic
number. Protons and electrons are distributed equally among neutral atoms. But atoms can receive or
lose electrons to make them more stable, and the resulting charged object is known as an ion. Because
different elements’ atoms contain varying numbers of protons and electrons, their atomic structures are
also different. This explains why different elements have unique properties.

Calculating Protons, Electrons, and Neutrons

1.
Get a periodic table of elements. The periodic table is a chart that organizes elements by their atomic
structure. It is color-coded and assigns each element a unique 1 or 2-letter abbreviation. Other elemental
information includes atomic weight and atomic number.

 You can find a periodic table online or in a chemistry book.

 In tests, normally, a periodic table will be provided.

2.
Find your element on the periodic table. The table orders elements by atomic number and separates
them into three main groups: metals, non-metals, and metalloids (semi-metals). Further elemental
groupings include alkali metals, halogens, and noble gases.
  Using the group (columns) or period (rows) can make the element easier to locate on the table.
 You can also search the table for the symbol of the element if you don’t know any other
properties.

3
Locate the element’s atomic number. The atomic number is located above the element symbol, in the
upper left-hand corner of the square. The atomic number will tell you how many protons make up a single
atom of an element.[3]

 For example, boron (B) has an atomic number of 5, therefore it has 5 protons.

4.
Determine the number of electrons. Protons are particles in the nucleus of an atom that have a positive
charge equal to +1. Electrons are particles that have a negative charge equal to -1. Therefore, an element
in a neutral state will have the same number of protons and electrons. [4]

 For example, boron (B) has an atomic number of 5, therefore it has 5 protons and 5 electrons.
 However, if the element includes a negative or positive ion, then the protons and electrons will
not be the same. You will have to calculate them. The ion number will appear as a small
superscript after the element.


5.

Look for the atomic mass of the element. To find the number of neutrons, you will first need to find the
atomic mass. An element’s atomic mass (also known as the atomic weight) is the weighted average mass
of atoms of an element.[5] The atomic mass can be found underneath the symbol for the element.

 Make sure that you round the atomic mass to the nearest whole number. For example, the atomic
mass of boron is 10.811, but you can just round the atomic mass up to 11.


6.

Subtract the atomic number from the atomic mass. To find the number of neutrons, you will need to
subtract the atomic number from the atomic mass. Remember that the atomic number is the same as the
number of protons which you have already identified.[6]

 For our boron example, 11 (atomic mass) – 5 (atomic number) = 6 neutrons.