: Negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus in specific regions called shells or orbitals. They are much smaller than protons and neutrons. Key Characteristics
: Atoms can lose or gain electrons to become ions (charged particles) or vary their number of neutrons to become isotopes of the same element. : Negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus
: This is the count of protons in the nucleus. For example, Hydrogen has 1 proton, while Gold has 79. Hydrogen has 1 proton
: Positively charged particles located in the center of the atom (the nucleus). The number of protons determines the identity of the element. : Negatively charged particles that orbit the nucleus