Composition of a Nucleus
An atom’s nucleus is made up of a densely packed arrangement of nucleons namely protons and neutrons. Because these are the two heavy particles in an atom, 99.9% of the mass is concentrated in the nucleus. Because protons have a net positive charge, the nucleus of an atom is positively charged overall, while negatively charged electrons revolve around the central nucleus. Because the mass concentration at an atom’s nucleus is enormous, the nuclear forces that hold protons and neutrons together are also enormous.
Since, the protons are so close to each other inside the tiny nucleus, electrostatic forces of repulsion also act inside the nucleus but it is very weak as compared to nuclear force of attraction that we neglect the same. Because the total number of protons in a nucleus equals the total number of electrons revolving around the nucleus, the atom as a whole is electrically neutral.
Atomic Nucleus
The nucleus of an atom is a small, dense, round region located in the centre of an atom. It has two subatomic particles, protons and neutrons. Protons are electrically positively charged ions having a mass of approximately one atomic mass unit (amu). Neutrons are electrically neutral.
The atomic nucleus is bonded together by the strong force (also known as nuclear force), the most powerful known fundamental force in nature. The atomic nuclei have more than 99.9% of the atomic mass and are 10,000 times smaller. In 1911, Ernest Rutherford discovered the nucleus of an atom.
Before learning about the Nucleus we first need to learn about the Structure of atoms in brief so let’s start with that.
Table of Content
- Structure of Atom
- Nucleus Discovery
- Composition of a Nucleus
- Characteristics of Nucleus
- Mass of a Nucleus
- Size of Nucleus
- Atomic Number
- Atomic Mass