Electron Shells and Energy Levels
Your phone screen, fireworks, and even the sun all produce light the same way - through electrons jumping between energy levels. When electrons absorb energy (like from heat or electricity), they get excited and move to higher energy levels.
But here's the thing - electrons don't like staying excited for long. They quickly drop back down and release that energy as electromagnetic radiation, which includes visible light. That's literally how every colour you see is created!
Ionisation happens when electrons get knocked completely out of their atoms. This can occur through friction (like rubbing a balloon on your hair), chemical reactions, or absorbing enough electromagnetic radiation. When atoms lose electrons, they become positive ions; when they gain electrons, they become negative ions.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons. They still have the same number of protons and electrons, which means they're the same element, but the extra or fewer neutrons can make them behave quite differently.
Quick Tip: Remember that the atomic number tells you how many protons an atom has, and this determines what element it is. The mass number is the total of protons plus neutrons.