Question

Explore the simulation. Be sure to click on everything. OUT OF 30 points
Begin when you are ready.
Select the “ATOM” simulation.
Open the boxes called Net Charge and Mass number





These boxes and the periodic table box will help you fill in the data needed below.

Mass number?

example
Charge?


example
Stay on the X?

example
Symbol changes on the periodic table?

example


Experiment by putting 5 protons into the nucleus of the atom (on the X).


Mass number?

5
Charge?


+5
Stay on the X?

yes
Symbol changes on the periodic table?

B(boron)

Experiment by putting 7 neutrons into the nucleus of the atom (on the X).
Mass number?
Charge?
Stay on the X?


Symbol changes on the periodic table?


Experiment by putting some 3 electrons into the nucleus of the atom (on the X).
Mass number?
Charge?
Stay on the X?


Symbol changes on the periodic table?




Look over your data tables for protons, neutrons and electrons.
Two things I noticed are: 1. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
Time to apply your understanding of the atom…

Put 8 protons into the nucleus of the atom.
Fill in the following:
Name of atom:____________ atom or ion? PICK ONE net charge ____________
Decide how you will build a neutral atom that is stable. Practice making atoms using your ideas.

Once you are able to do this several times on the simulation- starting with different numbers of protons- write out the steps of your building plan!
Steps to build a neutral atom:
First, I choose ______ protons and put them in the center (nucleus) of the atom.






* My stable atom is _____, mass ____, protons ____, neutrons ____, electrons ____

Answer 1

make the summary sound 8th grade

Answer 2

Let's go through your exploration of the atom simulation step by step.

1. **To begin with your experiments, we will gather information for each scenario**:

### Experiment 1: Adding 5 Protons
- **Mass number?**
- 5 (mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons, and here we only have protons, so it’s 5)
- **Charge?**
- +5 (because there are 5 protons and no electrons to balance the charge)
- **Stay on the X?**
- Yes, still an element (it's Boron)
- **Symbol changes on the periodic table?**
- B (symbol for Boron)

### Experiment 2: Adding 7 Neutrons
- **Mass number?**
- 12 (5 protons + 7 neutrons = 12)
- **Charge?**
- +5 (remains the same since neutrons do not affect charge)
- **Stay on the X?**
- Yes
- **Symbol changes on the periodic table?**
- No (still Boron, but now it's an isotope)

### Experiment 3: Adding 3 Electrons
- **Mass number?**
- 12 (mass number depends on protons and neutrons only)
- **Charge?**
- +2 (5 protons - 3 electrons = +2 net charge)
- **Stay on the X?**
- Yes
- **Symbol changes on the periodic table?**
- No (still Boron)

### Summary of Observations
Two things I noticed are:
1. Adding neutrons does not change the charge or the identity of the atom, only the mass number changes.
2. Adding electrons decreases the net positive charge, which means it could potentially become an ion.

---

### Second Part of the Experiment: Building a Neutral Atom

Let's follow the instruction to put 8 protons into the nucleus:

- **Name of atom:** Oxygen
- **Atom or ion?** Atom
- **Net charge:** 0 (neutral atom, because the number of electrons equals the number of protons)

### Building a Neutral Atom Steps:

1. First, I choose **8** protons and put them in the center (nucleus) of the atom.
2. Next, I add **8** electrons to balance the charge, ensuring the atom remains neutral.
3. To stabilize it, if I wanted to add neutrons, I could choose any number that would increase the mass number without changing its charge.

*My stable atom is **Oxygen**, mass **16**, protons **8**, neutrons **8**, electrons **8**.*

This structure reflects a complete understanding of how protons, neutrons, and electrons contribute to both the identity and the charge of an atom.