Anatomy of an Atom

Every atom has two zones: a dense central nucleus and a surrounding cloud of electrons. The nucleus holds protons (positive) and neutrons (no charge), packed together incredibly tightly. Electrons (negative) swarm around the outside in fuzzy probability clouds called orbitals.

• The nucleus is about 100,000 times smaller than the whole atom
• If the atom were a football stadium, the nucleus would be a marble at the centre
• Despite its tiny size, it holds over 99.9% of the atom's mass
• Electrons don't orbit like planets — they exist as smeared-out probability waves