The word "atom" is derived from a Greek word for "uncuttable". Atoms are thought to be the smallest particle of a single element. There are smaller parts of it, but the makeup and arrangement does determine the properties of an element. It is pretty cool because how we mix up atoms up or together can make just about anything in the universe. You find three simple sub-atomic particles in each atom. In the center (nucleus) you will find neutrons and protons. Together they provide almost all of the mass for the element. Protons have a positive charge and neutrons have no charge. Spinning around the nucleus you will find electrons. They have a negative charge and provide very little mass to the overall element.

This is truly one of the largest collections of atomic structure worksheets in one place. These worksheets have students explore the nature of atoms and their structure. We look at the function of each of the subatomic particles and how they interact to form molecules and ions. We break down the anatomy of these structures to display this for students and we will explore the Bohr model of this structure. Students will learn how to predict the element formed based on the number of protons an atom has. We will look at how mass number affects the balance of the atom. We will also look at how electrons are positioned and concept of orbital diagrams and how to determine valence shell configurations and what this means about the nature of the atom. Students will learn how to display valence shells with Lewis Dot diagrams. We will advance on to looking further into the nucleus and explore nuclear chemistry of atoms that are not very stable. We will also look at how this affects an atoms location on the Periodic Table of Elements. We first help students identify the basic parts and then work on how electron configuration affects the chemical nature of substances.