Nucleus!

THIS this week, which is not this week, we learned about how atoms were discovered and what they -probably- look like. They're a really small particle unseen by the human eye, with an even smaller nucleus made up of protons and neutrons. (If the atom was a football stadium, the proton is only the size of a fly in the middle. :o)

Swirling around the nucleus are extremely tiny electrons in a giant cloud. The number of protons determines what kind of elemental atom it is, and the number of neutrons can make it a different kind of isotope. Atoms can lose or gain electrons and become cations and anions, respectively. The ones in Groups 1, 2, and 3 lose 1, 2, and 3 electrons to make 1+, 2+, and 3+ charged cations. They can merge with those in Groups 6 and 7, which gain 2 and 1 electron(s) to make ionic compounds. They can combine to make compounds like salt (NaCl)!

On Thursday, we watched a Simpsons parody of the Powers of Ten video. Apparently we all live inside Homer Simpson's hair cell, in his DNA. What if we get shaved off? :(