What IS Atomic Nucleus? Definition, Structure And Its Function

The atomic nucleus is the center of the atom , around which electrons orbit. It is composed of protons and neutrons , and has almost all of the mass of the atom.

What Is Atomic Nucleus? Definition And Its Meaning

The atomic nucleus is the central and densely packed core of an atom, housing protons and neutrons. It represents a small fraction of the total volume of the atom but contains the majority of its mass.

Protons, positively charged particles, and neutrons, neutral particles, are held together within the nucleus by the strong nuclear force, overcoming the electromagnetic repulsion between protons.

The behavior of the atomic nucleus is central to the understanding of atomic structure, chemical properties, and nuclear reactions, influencing a wide range of scientific and technological disciplines.

How Atomic Nucleus Was Discovered?

Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) deduced the existence of the atomic nucleus in 1911 . By throwing alpha particles at a sheet of gold, he observed that some of them bounced in different directions. This led him to understand that atoms contain a dense, positively charged nucleus, where most of the mass is concentrated.

Later, in 1932, James Chadwick discovered the existence of neutrons . From there, it is established that the atom is made up of electrons and an atomic nucleus made up of protons and neutrons.

The importance of the atomic nucleus lies in the fact that it constitutes the largest mass part of an atom. In addition, its protons indicate the type of chemical element that is observed, and the number of neutrons, the isotope of the element.

Today, the existence of elementary or subatomic particles is known: leptons, quarks and bosons. Specifically, protons and neutrons are made up of various types of quarks. Let’s look at the structure of the core.

Structure Of The Atomic Nucleus:

The atomic nucleus is positively charged and is made up of nucleons . In turn, nucleons split into protons and neutrons.

On the one hand, protons have a positive electrical charge , and are made up of two quarks above and one quark below. On the other hand, neutrons are charge neutral

, and are composed of one quark above and two quarks below.

Both types of particles have the same size, and are tightly bound together in the atomic nucleus. Protons and neutrons are not stationary, but move within the nucleus.

Function Of Atomic Nucleus

The atomic nucleus serves as the central command of an atom, housing protons and neutrons in a delicate balance.

Its primary function is to overcome the electromagnetic repulsion between positively charged protons, binding them together through the strong nuclear force.

This binding energy determines the stability of the nucleus. The number of protons in the nucleus defines the element and its unique properties, while the sum of protons and neutrons contributes to the atomic mass.

The nucleus is also the stage for crucial nuclear reactions, including fusion and fission, which release substantial energy and have applications in both power generation and weaponry.

Furthermore, in stars, the nucleus is the site of nuclear fusion reactions, illuminating the cosmos with the energy produced.

Understanding the functions of the atomic nucleus is fundamental to comprehending the behavior of matter on both the atomic and cosmic scales.

Properties And Characteristics Of the Atomic Nucleus

The atomic nucleus contains all the positive charge and most of the mass of the atom. It is described as a very small and dense nucleus , occupying only a tiny part of the atom, with electrons orbiting in the electron cloud.

Nucleons , composed of protons and neutrons, are held together by the strongest known fundamental force: the strong nuclear force . This is how the nucleons remain compacted and united, difficult to separate.

The number of protons present in the nucleus indicates the atomic number of the chemical element . For example, hydrogen contains 1 proton, while oxygen has 8. Therefore, the number of protons in an atom tells us what element it is.

The number of protons is also equivalent to the number of electrons in a stable atom. However, the atom can gain or lose electrons, thus becoming an ion. For example, if there are fewer electrons than protons, the atom will be a positive ion.

Although the protons and neutrons in the nucleus are paired, there are elements with several isotopes. Isotopes are atoms that have different numbers of neutrons

, without varying the number of protons. Many of the isotopes with more neutrons than protons are usually stable, but not very abundant.

One of the best-known isotopes is carbon-14 or ¹⁴ C, used for dating organic matter. This isotope of carbon has 6 protons, but 8 neutrons, which adds up to 14.

Finally, hydrogen is the only element with an atomic nucleus composed only of a proton. All other elements contain protons and neutrons. That is why helium, the second element in the table, weighs four times more than hydrogen, since it has 2 protons and 2 neutrons.

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