Atoms: The Building Blocks of Nature and Energy
Everything you see-and the air you don't see-is made of atoms. Atoms are tiny particles that make up every object in the universe.
Atoms are so small you cannot see them without a very powerful microscope. Inside each atom are even smaller particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. The atoms for each type of material are different. The difference is the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The unique types of atoms are called “elements,” such as oxygen (8 protons, 8 neutrons, and 8 electrons), iron (26 protons, 30 neutrons, and 26 electrons), and mercury (80 protons, 121 neutrons, and 80 electrons).
Each atom acts like a small magnet. The protons are the positive charge; the electrons are the negative charge; and the neutrons have no charge, but they balance the positive and negative charges of the protons and electrons so that the atom holds together. The balance of the protons, electrons, and neutrons is called “nuclear energy.” Energy is a measure of how much work can be produced. Some elements have the same number of protons and electrons, but different numbers of neutrons. These atoms of the same element, but with different numbers of neutrons, are called “isotopes.” Most naturally occurring elements have more than one stable isotope. For example, carbon has three main isotopes.
Isotopes are important because some elements, such as uranium, have isotopes that are not well balanced (“unstable”). Scientists can use those isotopes to break up other atoms to release the energy.
