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Atomic Structure: Electrons

Related Article: Learn more about atoms.

Electrons are fast moving, negatively charged particles found outside the nucleus. The space where an electron will most likely be found is called an electron cloud.

browse videos in nuclear science

Structure of the Atom (1:55)

Ernest Rutherford conducted an experiment to learn the structure of an atom.

Niels Bohr's Atomic Model (1:24)

According to Bohr’s atomic model, electrons travel only in fixed paths, called energy levels, around the nucleus.

Size of Atoms: Matter (1:04)

Matter is mostly empty space because atoms themselves are mostly empty space.

Atomic Structure: The Nucleus (0:52)

The nucleus contains protons, which are positively charged, and neutrons. Each proton has a mass of about 1 amu.

Atomic Structure: Neutrons (0:33)

The neutron has no electric charge, is found in the nucleus, and has a mass of ~1 amu.

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