Atomic Structure Fundamentals
Atoms are the building blocks of all matter, determining both chemical properties (how substances react) and physical properties (what we can observe). The atomic theory describes what atoms are and how they're structured.
Every atom contains three main subatomic particles protons (positive charge), neutrons (neutral charge), and electrons (negative charge). Protons and neutrons form the dense central nucleus, while electrons move constantly in the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus. Electrons occupy specific orbitals or shells at different distances from the nucleus.
Our understanding of atoms evolved over centuries through the work of many scientists. Democritus first proposed the concept of atoms, while John Dalton developed the first modern atomic theory. Later, J.J. Thompson discovered electrons, Ernest Rutherford identified the nucleus, Neils Bohr proposed electron shells, and James Chadwick discovered neutrons.
Did You Know? The periodic table organizes all 118 known elements based on their atomic structure. Each element box shows its symbol, atomic number (number of protons), and atomic mass (average number of protons and neutrons).
Isotopes are versions of an element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This explains why many elements have atomic masses that aren't whole numbers - they're averages of different isotopes!