Health is wealthElements broken down into protons, electrons and neutrons
Atoms are comprised of a nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons. The number of orbiting electrons is the same as the number of protons and is termed the "atomic number" of the element. Helium has two protons and two electrons; its atomic number is two. Basically, it contains a nucleus, holding some number (call it N) of positively charged protons, which is surrounded by a cloud (N) of negatively charged electrons. The force that holds the electrons and protons together is the electromagnetic force. The number N tells you what element you have: for hydrogen N equals 1, for helium, 2, and so on.
The same electromagnetic force that draws opposite charged electrons and protons together tries to push the protons (which all have the same charge) away from each other. To avoid this separation, another particle comes into play in the nucleus: the neutron. Much like a proton in mass but without electric charge, the neutron is essential for holding the nucleus together. At short distances (i.e. within the nucleus), a very strong force, more powerful than electromagnetism, takes over and attracts the protons and neutrons. If you hit protons and neutrons hard enough, you find that they in turn are made of even smaller pieces, called quarks. Quarks are held together by the same strong force that holds the nucleus together
The same electromagnetic force that draws opposite charged electrons and protons together tries to push the protons (which all have the same charge) away from each other. To avoid this separation, another particle comes into play in the nucleus: the neutron. Much like a proton in mass but without electric charge, the neutron is essential for holding the nucleus together. At short distances (i.e. within the nucleus), a very strong force, more powerful than electromagnetism, takes over and attracts the protons and neutrons. If you hit protons and neutrons hard enough, you find that they in turn are made of even smaller pieces, called quarks. Quarks are held together by the same strong force that holds the nucleus together
