Introduction to the Atom

Website: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom_en.html
1. Explore the Build an Atom simulation for a few minutes, building whatever atoms you choose.
Write down 1-3 observations you have about building an atom. Click on the Atom option.
a. Move protons, neutrons, and electrons to the atomic model. Where do the protons
‘stick’? Where do the neutrons ‘stick’ and where do the electrons ‘stick’?
b. Add more electrons and protons and observe what happens with the net charge?
c. Add neutrons and protons, what happens with the mass number? How does the
periodic table change?
2. You build an atom that has the following components:
4 protons P
5 neutrons N
2 electrons E
a. Describe in your own words what the atom looks like.
b. What element is this? How do you know?
c. What is the mass number of this atom?
d. What is the charge of this atom?
3. Change the number of electrons to 1, what is the charge now?
a. Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon are all different elements.
If you want to change the type of element your atom is, you can either:
(circle)
Add a proton Yes or No
or Add a neutron Yes or No
or Add an electron Yes or No
b. If you want to change the charge of your atom, you can either:
(circle)
Add a proton Yes or No
or Add a neutron Yes or No
or Add an electron Yes or No
c. If you want to change the mass of your atom, you can either:
(circle)
Add a proton Yes or No
or Add a neutron Yes or No
or Add an electron Yes or No

4. Build an atom with a positive net charge, then complete the table below.
Protons 3
Electrons 4
Neutrons 2
Net Charge positive
5. Build a new atom with a different positive net charge, and then complete the table below.
 Protons 4
Electrons 2
Neutrons 5
Net Charge positive
6. Build an atom with a negative net charge, and then complete the table below.
Protons 8
Electrons 4
Neutrons 5
Net Charge 7
7. Build a new atom with a different negative net charge, and then complete the table below.
Protons 3
Electrons 6
Neutrons 1
Net Charge 2
8. In order to have a positive net charge, what must be true about the number of protons and
electrons?
a. In order to have a negative net charge, what must be true about the number of protons
and electrons?
b. What is the charge of a neutron?
9. Create an atom with a net charge of zero. What do you notice about the number of protons
and electrons?
10. Everything around us is made up of different elements. The air has Oxygen (O) and Nitrogen
(N). Plants and people have lots of Carbon (C). Helium (He) is in balloons. Hydrogen (H) is in
water.
11. Play until you discover which particle (or particles) determines the name of the element you
build. What did you discover?

Particles What What Determines

Element? the Element?
Protons: 6 b ☐ Proton
1 Neutrons: 6 ☐ Neutron
Electrons: 6 ☐ Electron
Protons: 7 c ☐ Proton
2 Neutrons: 6 ☐ Neutron
Electrons: 6 ☐ Electron
Protons: 6 k ☐ Proton
3 Neutrons: 7 ☐ Neutron
Electrons: 7 ☐ Electron

12. Explore the simulation until you discover what affects the mass of your atom or ion.
13. Which particles are heavy and which particles are light?
 14. What is a rule for determining the mass?
15. Using all of your rules, figure out what changes for each of these actions to an atom or ion. You
can test your ideas with the simulation. If you have new ideas, rewrite your rules.

What
Action How Does it Change?
Changes?
☐ Element
Add a Proton ☐ Charge
☐ Mass

What
Action How Does it Change?
Changes?
☐ Element
Remove a
☐ Charge
Neutron
☐ Mass

What
Action How Does it Change?
Changes?
☐ Element
Remove an
☐ Charge
Electron
☐ Mass

What
Action How Does it Change?
Changes?
☐ Element
Add an
☐ Charge
Electron
☐ Mass