BRAINCAKEStructure of the Atom
An atom is made of three sub-atomic particles: protons, neutrons and electrons.
Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus at the centre of the atom. The nucleus is tiny compared with the whole atom but contains almost all of its mass. The electrons are found outside the nucleus in energy levels called quantum shells, so most of the atom is empty space.
The actual masses and charges of these particles are very small, so chemists compare them using relative values:
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
More in Atomic Structure
- Discovery of Atomic Structure
- Atomic Number and Mass Number
- Isotopes
- Relative Isotopic Mass
- Relative Atomic Mass
- Mass Spectrometer
- Relative Atomic Mass from a Mass Spectrometer
- Relative Molecular Mass from a Mass Spectrometer
All 19 lessons in Atomic Structure · All Edexcel AS-level Chemistry topics