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How to Make a Model of a Uranium Atom With Styrofoam Balls

Atoms are the fundamental units of all matter in the universe. They consist of a nucleus which contains positive charged protons, and neutrons that carry no net charge. Negative charged electrons surround the nucleus in well defined "shells." Atoms are electrically neutral, hence the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons. Styrofoam models can help students visualize the components of an atom, and aid with understanding the concept of electrical charge.

Things You'll Need

238 Styrofoam balls, 2-inch diameter
92 Styrofoam balls, 1/2-inch diameter
Glue
Red paint
Blue paint
Yellow paint
Chicken wire
Marker pen
Pliers

Instructions

- 1
  Paint 92 of the 2-inch Styrofoam balls red and 146 of the 2-inch Styrofoam balls blue. Paint all of the 1/2-inch Styrofoam balls yellow. Allow a few hours for the the paint to dry on all of the balls. The red balls represent protons, the blue balls represent neutrons, and the yellow balls represent electrons.
- 2
  Glue all 2-inch Styrofoam balls together to form the nucleus of the uranium atom. Glue the balls in a symmetrical way so the model nucleus looks spherical. Using a marker pen, label the exposed red balls with a "+" sign, and the exposed blue balls with a "0" sign.
- 3
  Using the pliers, cut the chicken wire into 92 3-inch pieces. Insert the pieces of chicken wire into the model nucleus, leaving approximately 2 3/4 inches protruding outward. Ensure that the chicken wire is placed into the nucleus in a spherically symmetric way. Place a yellow Styrofoam ball on the end of each piece of chicken wire. Using the marker pen, label each of the yellow Styrofoam balls with a "-" sign. The model of the uranium atom is complete.

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