States of Matter and Atomic Structure
States of matter behave differently because of how their particles move and attract each other. In solids, particles vibrate in fixed positions with strong attractions. Liquids have particles that move freely but stay close together, while gases have particles zooming around in straight lines with no attractions at all.
An atom is incredibly tiny - about 1×10⁻¹⁰m across! Inside each atom, you'll find protons (positive charge, mass of 1), neutrons (no charge, mass of 1), and electrons (negative charge, almost no mass). The number of protons always equals the number of electrons in a neutral atom.
Scientists like Democritos, Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford, and Bohr gradually discovered atomic structure over time. Bohr's model shows us that electrons live in shells around the nucleus, and they can only move in fixed orbits - they can't just exist anywhere they fancy.
Remember: Mass number = protons + neutrons, whilst atomic number = just the protons (which also equals electrons).