Atoms and Elements - The Building Blocks
Atoms are the smallest possible pieces of any element, and they're made up of three key subatomic particles that you absolutely need to know. Protons carry a +1 charge and have a mass of 1, whilst neutrons are neutral (no charge) but also have a mass of 1 - both of these live in the nucleus at the centre.
Electrons are the odd ones out - they're negatively charged (-1) and incredibly light (practically no mass), whizzing around the nucleus in shells. Think of it like a tiny solar system, but with electrons instead of planets.
The atomic number tells you how many protons an element has, and this never changes - it's like an element's fingerprint. Carbon always has 6 protons, oxygen always has 8, and so on. The atomic mass is the total of protons plus neutrons, which is why carbon-12 has 6 protons and 6 neutrons.
💡 Quick Tip: In a neutral atom, the number of protons always equals the number of electrons!