Atomic Structure — Reading Comprehension
Perfect For:
- • Reading comprehension practice
- • Auto-graded assessments
- • Literacy skill development
- • Reading practice at home
- • Comprehension improvement
- • Educational reading time
- • Reading curriculum support
- • Independent reading practice
- • Progress monitoring
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About This Reader
What Are Atoms?
Have you ever wondered what makes up everything around you? The chair you sit on, the water you drink, and even you yourself are all made of tiny building blocks called atoms. Atoms are so small that millions of them could fit on the head of a pin!
Inside an Atom
An atom is like a tiny solar system. At the center is the nucleus, which contains two types of particles: protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, while neutrons have no charge at all. The nucleus is very dense and makes up most of an atom's mass.
Electrons: The Outer Particles
Around the nucleus, electrons orbit in paths called energy levels or shells. Electrons are much smaller than protons and neutrons, and they have a negative charge. They move so fast that they create a cloud around the nucleus rather than following exact paths.
Elements and Atomic Number
The number of protons in an atom tells us what element it is. For example, hydrogen has one proton, oxygen has eight protons, and gold has 79 protons. In a normal atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, making the atom balanced or neutral.
How Atoms Form Molecules
Atoms can gain, lose, or share electrons with other atoms. When they do this, they form bonds and create molecules. Water, for instance, is a molecule made when two hydrogen atoms bond with one oxygen atom.
Studying Atoms
Atoms are the basic units of all matter, yet we cannot see them with our eyes. Scientists use special tools like electron microscopes to study them. The more we learn about atoms, the better we understand our world and how everything in it works together.
Fun fact: If you could enlarge an atom to the size of a football stadium, the nucleus would be only about the size of a pea at the center! This means atoms are mostly empty space.
What are the basic building blocks of all matter?
MoleculesCellsAtomsElectronsWhich part of an atom contains protons and neutrons?
Electron cloudNucleusEnergy levelsShellsWhat type of charge do protons have?
Negative chargePositive chargeNo chargeVariable chargeWhere do electrons move in an atom?
Inside the nucleusIn straight linesIn energy levels or shellsThey don't move at allWhat determines which element an atom is?
The number of electronsThe number of protonsThe number of neutronsThe total mass of the atomIn a neutral atom, what equals the number of protons?
The number of neutronsThe number of electronsThe number of shellsThe atomic massHow do atoms form molecules?
By splitting apartBy gaining, losing, or sharing electronsBy changing their protonsBy combining nucleiWhat tool do scientists use to study atoms?
Regular microscopesTelescopesElectron microscopesX-ray machines
