ATOMS:

Inside Out
Scientists have proven that the atom
is composed of even smaller particles.
From experiments conducted in the
latter part of 19th century to the early
part of the 20th century, scientist
collected evidence that atoms are
composed of three types of particles,
namely, protons, electrons and
neutrons.
These components of the atom are
collectively referred to as
subatomic particles. In recent
years, scientist have discovered
that protons and neutrons consist
of even smaller particles. There
are still many things about the
atom and what is inside it that
scientist are still discovering.
Electric charges – like charges
repel or push away each other
and unlike charges attract or pull
toward each other.
Activity Time!
All objects are electrically neutral,
or simply, neutral, but they carry
electrical charges. Atoms, of
which all objects are made, are
electrical in nature. Atoms
contain particles with positive and
negative charges.
The proton carries a positive charge,
the electron carries a negative
charge. Atoms, in their most stable
state are neutral with an equal
number of protons and electrons.
The other particle in atoms is the
neutron which does not carry any
charge or is neutral.
Question: Consider an atom
which has six protons, six
electrons, and six neutrons, is the
atom electrically neutral?
Question: Consider an atom
which has six protons, six
electrons, and eight neutrons, is
the atom electrically neutral?
Subatomic particle Charge Mass, grams Location in the Atom
(symbol)

Electrons (e-) -1 9.109 x Outside nucleus

Protons (p+) +1 1.672 x Nucleus

Neutrons (n0) 0 1.675 x Nucleus

Q1. Which subatomic particle is
the lightest?
Q2. Which subatomic particle is
the heaviest?
Q3. Which subatomic particle
have almost the same mass?
Protons and neutrons are
massive. Electrons are very much
lighter than the protons and
neutrons, to the point that its
mass does not significantly
contribute to the mass of the
entire atom. In effect, the mass of
the electron is negligible.
The massive part of the atom, then,
comes from the masses of the protons
and neutrons. Collectively, the protons
and neutrons are called nucleons. The
nucleons, tightly packed together, form
the nucleus in the center of the atom.
Thus, most of the mass of the atom is
contained in its nucleus.
1. What are the three subatomic particle of an atom?
2. Which subatomic particle have almost the same
mass?
3. Where does the massive part of atom comes from?
4. What is in the center of an atom?
5. Where can we find the electrons?
6. How can we say that an atom is stable?
7. The components of an atom are collectively referred to
as _________.
8. List down the charge of each subatomic particles:
proton ___, neutron _____, and electron _____.
For no. 9 -16, write NEUTRAL if the atom is stable based
on the statement below, and write NOT NEUTRAL if the
atom is not stable based on the statements below.
9. 6 protons, 7 electrons
10. 7 protons, 7 neutrons, 6 electrons
11. 8 protons, 8 neutrons, 8 electrons
12. 7 neutrons, 7 electrons, 6 protons
13. 5 protons, 6 electrons
14. 10 electrons, 10 protons, 11 neutrons
15. 8 electrons, 7 protons
16. 10 protons, 10 electrons, 7 neutrons
5. Where can we find the electrons?
6. How can we say that an atom is
stable?
7. The components of an atom are
collectively referred to as _________.
8. List down the charge of each
subatomic particles: proton ___,
neutron _____, and electron _____.
For no. 9 -16, write NEUTRAL if the
atom is stable based on the
statement below, and write NOT
NEUTRAL if the atom is not stable
based on the statements below.
9. 6 protons, 7 electrons
10. 7 protons, 7 neutrons, 6
electrons
11. 8 protons, 8 neutrons, 8
electrons
12. 7 neutrons, 7 electrons, 6
protons
13. 5 protons, 6 electrons
14. 10 electrons, 10 protons, 11
neutrons
15. 8 electrons, 7 protons
16. 10 protons, 10 electrons, 7
neutrons
1. What are the three subatomic particle of
an atom? Proton, electron and neutron
2. Which subatomic particle have almost
the same mass? Neutron and proton
3. Where does the massive part of atom
comes from? From the mass of proton
and neutron
4. What is in the center of an atom?
Nucleus
5. Where can we find the electrons? Outside
the nucleus
6. How can we say that an atom is stable? If it
has equal number of protons and electrons
7. The components of an atom are collectively
referred to as _________. Subatomic particle
8. List down the charge of each subatomic
particles: proton +, neutron 0, and electron -.
For no. 8 -15, write NEUTRAL if the atom is
stable based on the statement below, and
write NOT NEUTRAL if the atom is not
stable based on the statements below.
8. 6 protons, 7 electrons – NOT NEUTRAL
9. 7 protons, 7 neutrons, 6 electrons – NOT
NEUTRAL
10. 8 protons, 8 neutrons, 8 electrons -
NEUTRAL
11. 7 neutrons, 7 electrons, 6 protons- NOT
NEUTRAL
12. 5 protons, 6 electrons – NOT NEUTRAL
13. 10 electrons, 10 protons, 11 neutrons-
NEUTRAL
14. 8 electrons, 7 protons- NOT NEUTRAL
15. 10 protons, 10 electrons, 7 neutrons-
NEUTRAL
When the idea of the atom was first
proposed by the ancient Greeks,
they thought it was a particle with
no parts. However, towards the 19th
century, J.J. Thomson was able to
discover that atoms have negatively-
charged particles, which he called
electrons.
It led him to proposed a new
model for the atom, which he
called the raisin bun model.
Thomson proposed that the
negatively-charged electrons were
embedded in a kind of cloud or
soup of positive charge, as seen in
the picture.
The model of Thomson was tested
further by other Scientist. A group
of scientists composed of Ernest
Rutherford, Johannes Wilhelm
Geiger and Ernest Marsden tested
Thomson’s model by bombarding
a very tiny sheet of gold foil with
positively-charged alpha particles.
Video Presentation
Rutherford and his co workers expected all of
the alpha particles to travel undeflected
through the atoms of gold. They observed
that most of alpha particles did go through
the foil undeflected. But what surprise them
was that there were a few alpha particles
that practically bounced back towards the
source and some that were deflected at
smaller angles.
Rutherford’s team propose another
model for the atom, the nuclear model.
Rutherford, in 1911, suggested a different
structure of the atom where all the positive
charge and nearly all the mass of the atom
were concentrated in a very tiny region
called the nucleus at the center of the
atom. The rest of the atom, where the tiny
electrons with very small mass moved, was
largely empty space through which the alpha
particles could travel undeflected.
The nuclear model of the atom
proposed by Rutherford in 1912 is
still the picture of the atom that we
hold today. Observations made
afterward in experiments concerning
the atom support the model.
One of the models of the electrons in
atoms is the Planetary model where
the electrons were thought to move
in orbits around the nucleus similar
to the way planets like earth move
around the sun. This has since been
found to be incorrect. What we do
know, however, are the following:
1. The electron although it is
negatively charged does not
collapse into the positively
charged nucleus;
2. There is attraction between the
nucleus and the electron,
evidence of which is that energy
is required to remove and electron
from the atom.
1. What do we call the model of
atom proposed by Thomson?
2. What do we call the model of
atom proposed by Rutherford?
3. Draw the nuclear model of an
atom.
4. Rutherford suggested a different
structure of atom during what
year?
5. What is the suggestion of
Rutherford’s about atoms?
6-7. Rutherford’s companion during
his experiments were ________ and
_______.