Atoms are made of three basic particles. At the centre of the atom, there are neutrons and protons. Whereas Electrons revolve around it.

The electrons move with such speed that it is impossible to tell where exactly an electron is at any time.

Scientists have prepared a model of the atom to make it easier for us to understand and visualise the atom and its various parts. So don't mistake this model for the actual atom.

About the Atom

At the centre of the atom are the protons. These carry positive charge.

Also present in the centre are neutrons. They carry no charge. The centre including the proton and neutron is also called the nucleus.

The number of protons in any atom is known as the Atomic number of that element. The Atomic number of every element is different as the number of protons in every element varies. You will notice that the elements have been arranged in increasing order of their Atomic numbers in the structure of the Periodic Table.

Protons and neutrons are the heaviest part of the atom. They are almost equally heavy.

When we talk about the mass of an atom, this is roughly the mass of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of that atom. In the total mass of the atom, the contribution of the mass of electrons is negligible.

Electrons orbit around the nucleus in their different energy levels. In reality, it is very difficult to predict/say where a particular electron will be at any point in time. In fact, one can only guess the probability of finding an electron in the vicinity of the nucleus.

Just for simplification, we show the electrons revolving around the nucleus in orbits.

In scientific terms, this is referred to as the model of an atom and not the actual form of it.

So lets try and make the model of an atom from what we have learnt till now.