Atoms
electron
Negatively charged subatomic particle. Found orbiting the nucleus. Make up almost none of the mass, but most of the volume of the atom.
isotope
Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus
proton
Positively charged subatomic particle. Found in the nucleus of the atom.
neutron
Subatomic particle that has no charge. Found in the nucleus of the atom. Essential to create stable nucleus (too many protons next to each other would repel!)
atom
The basic unit of matter. The smallest possible particle that still retains all characteristics of an individual element.
nucleus
The center portion of the atom. Contains most of the mass, but very little of the volume.
subatomic particle
The pieces that make up atoms. Include protons, neutrons, and electrons.
element
The smallest piece of matter that interacts with other pieces of matter in predictable ways. Atoms of one element always behave the same as any other atom of that element.
chemistry
branch of physical science that studies the composition, structure, properties and change of matter.