Atoms can join together to form molecules, which in turn form most of the objects around you. Atoms are composed of particles called protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons carry a positive electrical charge, electrons carry a negative electrical charge and neutrons carry no electrical charge at all.
The atom is the smallest unit of an element that maintains the properties of that element. All atoms are composed of subatomic particles called neutrons (particles with no charge, neutral), electrons (negatively charged particles) and protons (positively charged particles).
The proton is located in the nucleus, an atom's central region. The number of protons in the nucleus is the atomic number, which determines the identity of an element. The neutron is located in the nucleus of an atom. Together, the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus determine the mass number of the atom.
The electron is likely to be found in the electron cloud, a region around the nucleus of an atom. The electrons located in the electron cloud interact with other atoms or ions when joining together to create a compound. A compound a substance made up of atoms or ions of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds.
