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Build An Atom

The document discusses an online atom building simulation. It prompts users to explore the simulation and answer questions about atomic structure. Key points covered include: 1) Protons are located at the center of an atom, electrons are in rings around the protons. 2) The number of protons determines the element. Isotopes have the same number of protons but different neutrons. 3) The number of protons and electrons determines an atom or ion's charge state. Neutral atoms have equal numbers, positive ions have fewer electrons than protons and negative ions have fewer protons than electrons.

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420 views2 pages

Build An Atom

The document discusses an online atom building simulation. It prompts users to explore the simulation and answer questions about atomic structure. Key points covered include: 1) Protons are located at the center of an atom, electrons are in rings around the protons. 2) The number of protons determines the element. Isotopes have the same number of protons but different neutrons. 3) The number of protons and electrons determines an atom or ion's charge state. Neutral atoms have equal numbers, positive ions have fewer electrons than protons and negative ions have fewer protons than electrons.

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 2 – Build an Atom

Let’s explore the Build an Atom simulation in your group. As you explore, talk about what you find. The goal of this
activity it to define the role of the protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom or ion. Go to the website:
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/build-an-atom/latest/build-an-atom_en.html. Choose the “Atom” simulation.

1. What particles go in the center of an atom? What particles go in the rings?

2. In the bottom, right-hand corner, make sure that the “element” button is checked in the “Show” list. Uncheck the
“Neutral/Ion” and “Stable/Unstable” buttons for now. Create the following elements. What is the name of each
element?

a) An element with 3 protons and 4 neutrons: _________________


b) An element with 2 protons and 4 neutrons: _________________
c) An element with 4 protons and 4 neutrons: _________________

3. Based on your responses to question 2, which particle do you think affects the element type?

4. Under the “Show” list, check the “Neutral/Ion” button. Click the “+” button next to the “Net Charge” tab. Play
with the simulation and try to figure out:
a) Which particles affect the charge of an atom or ion?

5. Fill in the blanks in a way that best explain your results from question 4:

a) Neutral atoms have protons and electrons.


b) Positive ions have protons than electrons.
c) Negative ions have protons than electrons.

6. Click the “+” button to show the “Mass Number” tab. Play with the simulation to discover what affects the mass
number of an atom or ion. How is the mass number calculated?

7. Under the “Show” list, check the “Stable/Unstable” button. Play with the simulation and try to figure out:
a) Which particles affect the stability of the atom? _______________________
8. What are the names of the stable forms of oxygen?
a) Oxygen-16
b) Oxygen-____
c) Oxygen-____

9. The oxygen atoms in questions 8 a-c are isotopes of each other. Based on this information, list the requirements
for atoms to be isotopes of each other.

10. The following image is the element symbol from the periodic table for oxygen. What does each part of the symbol
represent?

11. The image below is a generic version of an atomic symbol. Chemists use these to represent different atoms and
ions. Notice that this symbol is a little different from the one shown in question 10. In the simulation, click the
“Symbol” button in the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Play with the simulation and try to figure out
which particles affect each component of the atomic symbol. In the atomic symbol below, label each letter (A, Z,
X, and C) with:
 the particle(s) used to determine the letter, and
 how the value of each letter is determined.

12. Complete the following table:


Atomic Mass Number of Number of
Name Symbol Charge
number Number neutrons Electrons
22
sodium-22 Na+ 10
12 24 12
46
Ti2-
argon-40 18 18
7 8 8
48 37 neutral

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