The Anatomy of a Neutron
By Timothy Paul Smith
The "neutral" part of the atom is far more than buffer or ballast—when viewed at the correct scale
This Article From Issue
November-December 2010
Volume 98, Number 6
Page 478
DOI: 10.1511/2010.87.478
The atom is made up of three types of particles. There are the negatively charged electrons that zip around the core of the atom at speeds up to 10 percent of the speed of light. Their orbits remind us of planets; their motions are dynamic and exciting. There are also the protons, massive particles that sit at the atom’s core and, by the strength of their attractive positive charges, hold the meteorlike electrons in orbit. These two types of particles determine the atom’s shape, chemistry and dynamics.
Illustration by Barbara Aulicino.
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