Have you ever wondered what everything around you is made of? From your hands to the air, giraffes, and trees, everything is built from tiny things called atoms. Let’s learn how atoms are made!
To make an atom, you need protons and neutrons. These are like the building blocks. You squish them together with a lot of heat and add electrons. Electrons zoom around the outside, making atoms mostly empty space!
When atoms join together, they share or take electrons. This is how they form molecules. There are special names for these bonds: covalent and ionic. When atoms look and act the same, we call them elements. Each element has its own name.
The periodic table is like a big chart that lists all the elements. It shows their atomic number (how many protons they have), their chemical symbol (their name), and their atomic mass (protons plus neutrons).
Atoms are the same everywhere, whether on Earth or Mars. They make up everything, from tiny specks to giant stars. You are made of atoms too, so you have a universe inside you!
Hi, I’m Pete the Proton! I’m positively charged and help decide what element an atom is. I’m a tiny part of the atom, but very important!
I’m Ned the Neutron, and I’m neutral. I help make up the mass of everything, including you! Protons and neutrons hang out in the nucleus, the atom’s playground.
I’m Ellie the Electron, and I’m negatively charged. I’m much smaller than protons and zoom around the nucleus. I help power things like glowing lights and can give you a static shock!
Electrons are super speedy and can circle the world in just 18 seconds! They are part of atoms but are also subatomic legends. When you see electricity, that’s electrons on the move!
If you love learning, there are many more fun stories and books to explore. Ask a grown-up to help you find more exciting tales and adventures!
Build Your Own Atom Model: Gather some craft supplies like clay or playdough in different colors. Use one color to represent protons, another for neutrons, and a third for electrons. Create a model of an atom by forming a nucleus with protons and neutrons, and then place electrons around the nucleus. Discuss with your friends or family how these parts work together to form an atom.
Element Scavenger Hunt: With the help of an adult, find common household items and try to identify the elements they are made of. For example, a penny is made mostly of copper. Use a simple periodic table to find the symbol for each element you discover. Talk about how these elements are part of the things you use every day.
Electron Dance: Pretend to be electrons and create a dance where you move quickly around a central point, which represents the nucleus. Think about how electrons move around the nucleus and how they might interact with other atoms. This activity helps you understand the movement and energy of electrons in a fun way!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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[Music] [Applause] [Music]
Welcome to my first science textbook!
Say hello to the atoms that build everything you see: your hands, this book, the air, giraffes, and every single tree. If you want to make an atom, the recipe starts with protons and neutrons. Squish them together, use high heat, and sprinkle in electrons. This strong force holds the nucleus tight while electrons get to race.
They fly so far from the nucleus that atoms are mostly empty space.
When atoms get together, electrons are for sharing and taking. These covalent and ionic bonds are molecules in the making. There is a special word for when atoms look and act the same: it’s called an element, and each element has a name.
Elements go in increasing order on the periodic table: atomic number, mass, chemical symbol—there are a lot of labels. Atomic number is the number of protons, chemical symbol is the name, and atomic mass is the number of protons and neutrons.
These universal particles are the same on Earth as they are on Mars. Atoms compose each tiny speck from here to distant stars. You contain galaxies of atoms, so protons, neutrons, and electrons too. You live in the universe, and a universe lives in you.
[Applause]
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My first science textbook: protons and neutrons.
I’m Pete the Proton! I’m positively charged to meet you. I’m a subatomic particle; our introduction is overdue. When it comes to an element’s identity, protons are the defining trait.
This is Ned the Neutron. He’s neutral and important too. He makes up nearly half of everything’s mass, so he makes up nearly half of you.
Protons and neutrons are tiny; you can’t see us with your eye. But no matter the state of matter, guess what? You’ll find me and this guy: solid, liquid, gas.
Our playground is the nucleus, and it’s where we like to stay. Isotopes have extra neutrons, but too many neutrons may decay. The strong force keeps us stuck like glue; splitting us is a tough mission.
Our reaction is explosively energetic; it’s called nuclear fission. I’m attracted to electrons; our charges are equal and opposite.
When protons, neutrons, and electrons team up, we are the best of friends. Together we build the universe; our influence never ends.
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My first science textbook: electrons.
I’m Ellie the Electron, a particle with class. I’m negatively charged and have very little mass. I’m attracted to the proton; I’m almost 2,000 times smaller than it.
More electrons could fit on this dot than there are people on the planet. I speed far from the nucleus quite unpredictably. I mostly fly around in a cloud of probabilities.
Pick which you’d like to calculate: my speed or my location. You can’t know both at once; it’s an uncertain situation.
Look around this room. See anything that’s glowing? If it’s powered by electricity, that means electrons are flowing.
When it’s cold and dry in winter, electrons build up when you walk. Touch something, and I’ll jump to balance out; you’ll feel a static shock.
Electrons are mysterious, and we change how we behave. Turn your back, and we act like waves. If we were in a race, we could circle the world in 18 seconds.
Electrons are a part of the atom, but we are subatomic legends.
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