Atoms and the Periodic Table

Front

What is an atom?

Back

An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element.

Front

What are protons?

Back

Protons are positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom.

Front

What is a neutron?

Back

A neutron is a neutral particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

Front

What is an electron?

Back

An electron is a negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom.

Front

What is the atomic number?

Back

The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines the element's identity.

Front

What is an ion?

Back

An ion is an atom or molecule that has gained or lost one or more electrons, resulting in a net charge.

Front

What is a cation?

Back

A cation is a positively charged ion, formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Front

What is an anion?

Back

An anion is a negatively charged ion, formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.

Front

What are isotopes?

Back

Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Front

What is average atomic mass?

Back

Average atomic mass is the weighted average of the masses of an element's isotopes, measured in atomic mass units (amu).