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How to Build a Carbon Atom Model

In chemistry, understanding the structures of atoms leads to better understanding of how they react and why. Carbon is an important element for many reasons. It is the sixth most abundant element in the universe and is one of the oldest elements recognized by humans. It is also found in every living thing on Earth. The four electrons of carbon's outer shell make it possible for carbon to form a lot of bonds with different elements, which makes it ideal for forming complex compounds. Building a model carbon atom is a simple and useful project for learning about carbon's properties.

Things You'll Need

Medium Styrofoam balls
Small Styrofoam balls
Paint
Paintbrushes
Hot glue
Wire
Wire cutters
Fishing line

Instructions

- 1
  Paint the 12 medium-size Styrofoam balls. Paint six of them one color and six another color. One color represents protons and the other represents neutrons.
- 2
  Paint the six small Styrofoam balls. Choose a different color from the protons and neutrons. These are the electrons.
- 3
  Glue the protons and electrons together to form a rough sphere using hot glue. They should be mixed together at random. This is the nucleus of your atom. If you do not have hot glue, any type of glue will work; hot glue is a good choice because it sets quickly.
- 4
  Cut six pieces of wire, four long and two shorter.
- 5
  Insert the two short wires into the atom on opposite sides, then insert two of the small Styrofoam balls on top of the wires.
- 6
  Insert the other four wires into the atom, keeping them evenly spread apart. Insert the last four balls onto these wires. Together, the six small balls form the electron cloud of the atom.
- 7
  Glue on a hanger made from a loop of fishing line, if desired. This will enable you to suspend your atom.

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