Home >> Science & Nature >> Science

Three Elementary Particles of Atoms

Atoms, though themselves composed of three basic components, make up everything in the universe. The three basic components of atoms each have their own charge and mass. Combining these three together create the properties of the atom. When bonded with other atoms of the same or different elements, compounds or molecules are formed, creating more complex objects -- from a water molecule to a human.

Electrons
- Electrons are the smallest component of the atom. These negatively charged particles orbit the central nucleus of the atom. The number of electrons orbiting the nucleus determines the element the atom makes up and its bonding properties. The orbital regions of an atom hold a fixed number of electrons; when the outermost orbital is filled, the atom is stable and less likely to bond with another atom, but if the outer orbital has fewer electrons than its capacity, it seeks to fill those gaps by borrowing electrons from another atom, creating a bond. Electrons are so small that their mass is a negligible amount that is usually rounded to zero atomic mass units (amu).
Protons
- Protons are one component of the nucleus of the atom. These are positively charged and have a mass rounded to 1 amu. These balance out the negative charge of electrons in the atom. In a stable atom, the number of protons will equal the number of electrons. When there are more protons than electrons, the atom is ionic and has a positive charge, making it more likely to bond with other atoms. More electrons than protons creates a negatively charged ion.
Neutrons
- Neutrons are the other particles in the nucleus with the protons. Neutrons have a mass of 1 amu, but they do not carry a charge. The total number of neutrons and protons in an atom equal the atomic mass number of the element of the atom.
Quarks
- Quarks are the slightly charged components of protons and neutrons. The two types of quarks -- up and down -- refer to the charge. Up quarks have a positive two-thirds charge, and down quarks have a negative one-third charge. Each proton contains three quarks, two up and one down for a net positive charge of one. Neutrons have two down quarks and a single up quark, for a neutral net charge.

Science