Atomic structure (electron mass of 0.0005)
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the physical characteristics of atoms, protons, neutrons and electrons.
Key learning points
- Electrons have a relative charge of -1 and roughly a relative mass of 0.0005.
- Protons are found in the atomic nucleus, have a relative electric charge of +1, and a relative mass of 1.
- Neutrons are found in the atomic nucleus, have no electric charge, and a relative mass of 1.
- An atom has no electric charge and contains equal numbers of protons and electrons to balance the charge.
- The atom has a nucleus surrounded by electrons, with the nuclear radius much smaller than that of the atom.
Keywords
Electron - An electron is a subatomic particle with a negative charge and a very small relative atomic mass of 0.0005.
Proton - A proton is a subatomic particle with a positive charge and a relative atomic mass of 1.
Neutron - A neutron is a subatomic particle with no charge and a relative atomic mass of 1.
Nucleus - A nucleus is found in the centre of an atom. It consists of protons and neutrons. It is significantly smaller in size than the atom.
Subatomic - Anything that is smaller than an atom. There are three subatomic particles called electrons, protons and neutrons.
Common misconception
Students often struggle with the idea of how small an atom actually is. In contrast, how small the nucleus is, relative to the size of the atom.
The use of units and numbers to show the difference in size, e.g. the atom is approximately 10, 000 times larger than the nucleus. The radius of the nucleus is 0.00001nm, compared to that of the atom which is 0.1nm.
Teacher tip
Real analogies such as the marble (nucleus) vs football stadium (atom) with images help to show the size difference. Facts of how many atoms a human is made up of, or how many atoms are in a cell (often mistakenly thought of as the size of an atom) really help.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which statement is true about elements?
Q2.What determines the identity of an element?
Q3.In a chemical reaction, atoms...
Q4.An element is a substance made up of only one kind of ...
Q5.John Dalton's theory proposed that are indivisible.
Q6.The is a list of all known elements, ordered based on their properties.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where is the nucleus located in an atom?
Q2.Match the subatomic particles with their relative charges:
-1
+1
0
Q3.The relative mass of a neutron is (compared to protons).
Q4.True or false? Atoms are overall neutral. (Select true or false and a justification.)
Q5.Which of the following are correct ways of describing the relative mass of electrons (compared to protons)?
Q6.The radius of an atom's is at least 10 000 times smaller in comparison to the radius of the whole atom.
To help you plan your 10 combined science lesson on: Atomic structure (electron mass of 0.0005), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 combined science lesson on: Atomic structure (electron mass of 0.0005), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 combined science lessons from the Atomic structure and the periodic table unit, dive into the full secondary combined science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.