The atomic nucleus is the central part of an atom, and is composed of protons and neutrons. Protons are positively charged particles, while neutrons are electrically neutral. The protons and neutrons in the nucleus are held together by the strong nuclear force, one of the four fundamental forces in the universe.
The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus is called its atomic number, and determines what type of element the atom is. For example, the element hydrogen has an atomic number of 1, meaning it has one proton in its nucleus, while the element iron has an atomic number of 26, meaning it has 26 protons in its nucleus.
The size of an atomic nucleus is much smaller than the size of the whole atom. In fact, the size of the nucleus is about 10,000 times smaller than the size of the whole atom, and the electrons that orbit the nucleus are much farther away from the nucleus than the size of the nucleus itself.
In summary, the atomic nucleus is the central part of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons, held together by the strong nuclear force. The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus determines its atomic number and what type of element the atom is. The size of the atomic nucleus is much smaller than the size of the whole atom. Read More about School Analytics.
