Build an Atom

• 1). Go to the Keith Communications: Build an Atom website (see Resources).
  
  
• 2). Read the legend, and take note of the different images used to display protons, neutrons, electrons, and other details of the atomic structure. The initial atom displayed is hydrogen.
  
  
• 3). Click on the "Jump To" pull-down menu to build an atom, such as carbon, oxygen or uranium. Now you will see how many electrons, neutrons and protons are involved in the atom of the element you selected.
  
  
• 4). Click on "Previous Atom" or "Next Atom" near the bottom of the page to investigate models of other atoms sequentially.
  
  

Build Atoms Yourself

• 1). Go to the Exploring Earth Build Atoms Yourself website (see Resources).
  
  
• 2). Click on the "Next" button to start building a model atom. First you will read an introduction about how it works.
  
  
• 3). Click on protons, neutrons and electrons and drag them into the atom section. As you add them, the display will tell you that you have enough protons to make a certain atom, such as lithium, and whether you need to add a neutron to make it regular and stable.
  
  

Models of the Hydrogen Atom

• 1). Go to the Carleton College: Models of the Hydrogen Atom website (see Resources).
  
  
• 2). Click on the "Hydrogen Atom Model Applet" link, and then run the Java applet.
  
  
• 3). Press the "On" button of the light source to start the simulation of a hydrogen atom. Click on the various atomic model types, such as "Billiard Ball," "Plum Pudding" or "Classical Solar System" to set up different atom models.
  
  
• 4). Click on the spectrometer to see photons being emitted, and click on the "Show Electron Energy Level Diagram" option to see this data as you observe the atom model in action. "