Build an atom – protons, neutrons, electrons, ions and isotopes
Integrated ScienceAtoms, Elements & BondingAges 12–13
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Sign in to playAdd and remove protons, neutrons and electrons (tap or drag them from the trays into the atom) and instantly see the element you have made (Z = 1–20), its mass number A = p + n, its charge p − e (neutral atom, positive ion or negative ion), the nuclide symbol ᴬ_Z X with charge, the 2, 8, 8, 2 electron shells and whether the nucleus is stable or radioactive. Challenge mode asks you to build a given atom or ion (Na⁺, carbon-14, O²⁻…) and checks your answer.
Lesson: Atoms; Chemical elements; Isotopes; Ions
What it shows
Every atom is built from the same three particles. The number of protons, the atomic number Z, decides which element it is. Protons and neutrons together give the mass number A, so atoms of one element with different numbers of neutrons are isotopes; some are stable while others, such as carbon-14, are radioactive. When the numbers of electrons and protons differ, the atom becomes an ion: losing electrons gives a positive ion, gaining them a negative ion. Many stable ions have the same electron arrangement as a noble gas.
How to use
Tap a Proton, Neutron or Electron tray, or drag a particle into the atom, and use the − buttons to remove particles. Ask students to predict the name, mass number and charge before looking at the card beside the atom. Change only the neutrons to explore isotopes, then only the electrons to make ions. Switch Mode to Challenge, build the requested atom or ion, press Check, and use Next task for a new one.
Parameters you can change
- Mode Free build, Challenge
- Starting number of protons 0–20
- Starting number of neutrons 0–30
- Starting number of electrons 0–20
- Electron orbit speed 0–3
Questions to explore
- If you add one neutron to carbon-12, does the element change? What happens if you add a proton instead?
- Which ion forms when a sodium atom loses one electron, and which noble gas has the same electron arrangement?
- Why is carbon-14 radioactive when carbon-12 and carbon-13 are stable?
