The number of protons is what defines the element, i.e. an atom with six protons in its nucleus will always be carbon, and uranium will always have 92 protons. The total number of particles in the ...

Here’s how it works. An atom is best visualized as a tight, dense nucleus surrounded by buzzing, orbiting electrons. This picture immediately leads to a question: How do electrons keep whirling ...

Atoms are also tiny. A typical atom is ten billionths of a meter across. The nucleus of an atom is just a quadrillionth (10^–15) of a meter. Related: The Large Hadron Collider: Inside CERN's ...

Formed from a cluster of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom, a nucleus is 10,000 times smaller than the atom as a whole, "like a fly in a cathedral," said David Jenkins, a nuclear ...

Here’s how it works. An atom is best visualized as a tight, dense nucleus surrounded by buzzing, orbiting electrons. This picture immediately leads to a question: How do electrons keep whirling ...