Subatomic Particles

Atomic Mass

The mass of an atom, typically measured in atomic mass units (amu), which reflects the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.

Proton

A subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, carrying a positive charge and having a relative mass of 1 amu.

Neutron

A subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, having no charge (neutral) and a relative mass of 1 amu.

Electron

A subatomic particle that carries a negative charge and has a negligible mass compared to protons and neutrons, approximately 1/1837 of a proton.

Atomic Number (Z)

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, defining its chemical identity.

Mass Number (A)

The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus.

Isotopes

Atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses.

Neutral Atom

An atom that has an equal number of protons and electrons, resulting in no overall charge.

Standard Atomic Notation

A way to represent isotopes using the format AXZ, where A is the mass number, X is the elemental symbol, and Z is the atomic number.

Mass Spectrometer

A device used to determine the atomic mass and relative abundance of isotopes present in an element.