← The Nuclear Atom

Properties of Atoms

Saturday, February 5, 2022

Basic Properties

1. Atoms are small—on the order of 0.1nm in radius
2. Atoms are stable—the forces inside an atom are balanced, such that atoms do not spontaneously collapse or break apart
3. Atoms contain electrons but are neutral in charge—experiments show that electrons can be emitted from atoms, yet we observe the atom to be electrically neutral
4. Atoms emit and absorb electromagnetic radiation—experiments have shown that electromagnetic radiation is emitted when electrons transition from their excited state to their ground state