Structure of the Atom Quiz

Protons and neutrons comprise the nucleus; electrons occupy the outer space.
Visualize an atom as a large city with a thirty-kilometer diameter freeway representing the atom's size, while the nucleus is a small fish tank at its center.

Scientists use chemical symbols as shorthand for elements, resembling abbreviations in writing.
Chemical symbols consist of one capital letter or a capital letter plus one or two lowercase letters.
Some symbols derive from Latin roots, such as "Ag" for silver (argentum).
Elements can be named after scientists, geographical locations, or their properties, e.g., "curium" honors Pierre and Marie Curie, and "germanium" is named after Germany.
The international system of symbols facilitates universal recognition, with examples like H for hydrogen, O for oxygen, and H₂O for water.

An element comprises only one type of atom; atoms are the smallest particle retaining element's properties.
Atoms consist of subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons.
The nucleus is positively charged and contains protons (1+) and neutrons (neutral).
Electrons are negatively charged (1-) and orbit the nucleus.

Protons and neutrons are not the smallest particles; they are made up of quarks.
Electrons are considered elementary particles, not composed of smaller entities.
Six different quarks have been identified, with various combinations forming protons and neutrons.
Research on quarks involves accelerating particles to high speeds to collide with protons, allowing observation of their internal structure.
The Tevatron particle accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois facilitates quark research through high-energy collisions.