| Atoms, the smallest particles of matter that retain the properties of the matter, are made of protons, electrons, and neutrons. |
The atom, the smallest particle of matter that retains the properties of the substance, is composed of protons, electrons, and neutrons. |
| Protons have a positive charge, Electrons have a negative charge that cancels the proton's positive charge. |
Protons carry a positive charge, while electrons carry a negative charge, which helps neutralize the positive charge of the protons. |
| Neutrons are particles that are similar to a proton but have a neutral charge. |
Neutrons are particles that are similar to protons but do not carry any charge. |
| There are no differences between positive and negative charges except that particles with the same charge repel each other and particles with opposite charges attract each other. |
There is no difference between positive and negative charges except that particles with the same charge repel each other, and particles with opposite charges attract each other. |
| If a solitary positive proton and negative electron are placed near each other they will come together to form a hydrogen atom. |
If a single positive proton and a single negative electron are placed near each other, they will combine to form a hydrogen atom. |
| This repulsion and attraction (force between stationary charged particles) is known as the Electrostatic Force and extends theoretically to infinity, but is diluted as the distance between particles increases. |
This repulsive and attractive force (the force between stationary charged particles) is called the electrostatic force, and theoretically, it extends to infinity, but it diminishes as the distance between the particles increases. |
| When an atom has one or more missing electrons it is left with a positive charge, and when an atom has at least one extra electron it has a negative charge. |
When an atom loses one or more electrons, it becomes positively charged, and when an atom gains at least one extra electron, it becomes negatively charged. |
| Having a positive or a negative charge makes an atom an ion. |
Becoming positively or negatively charged turns an atom into an ion. |
| Atoms only gain and lose protons and neutrons through fusion, fission, and radioactive decay. |
Atoms only gain and lose protons and neutrons through fusion, fission, and radioactive decay. |
| Although atoms are made of many particles and objects are made of many atoms, they behave similarly to charged particles in terms of how they repel and attract. |
Although atoms are made up of many particles and objects are made up of many atoms, they behave similarly to charged particles in how they repel and attract each other. |
| In an atom the protons and neutrons combine to form a tightly bound nucleus. |
In an atom, protons and neutrons combine to form a tightly bound nucleus. |
| This nucleus is surrounded by a vast cloud of electrons circling it at a distance but held near the protons by electromagnetic attraction (the electrostatic force discussed earlier). |
This nucleus is surrounded by a vast cloud of electrons orbiting it at a distance, but they are held close to the protons by the electromagnetic force (the electrostatic force discussed earlier). |
| The cloud exists as a series of overlapping shells / bands in which the inner valence bands are filled with electrons and are tightly bound to the atom. |
The cloud exists as a series of overlapping shells/bands, with the inner valence bands filled with electrons and tightly bound to the atom. |
| The outer conduction bands contain no electrons except those that have accelerated to the conduction bands by gaining energy. |
The outer conduction bands do not contain electrons except for those that are excited into the conduction band by acquiring energy. |
| With enough energy an electron will escape an atom (compare with the escape velocity of a space rocket). |
With enough energy, an electron will escape from the atom (similar to the escape velocity of a spacecraft). |
| When an electron in the conduction band decelerates and falls to another conduction band or the valence band a photon is emitted. |
When an electron in the conduction band slows down and falls to a lower energy band or the valence band, a photon is emitted. |
| This is known as the photoelectric effect. |
This phenomenon is known as the photoelectric effect. |
