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It is often said that electrons give atoms their own peculiar 'personality'. Since potassium has one outer electron/valence electron, it tends to lose it and thus render the atom a cation. Fluorine on the other hand needs one electron to fill up its valence shell and so gains an electron, yielding an anion.
The number of electrons in the valence shell determines the reaction-'personality' of an atom. Nitrogen requires three electrons in its valence shell to fill it up (obey the octet rule) and this can be easily done by bonding with 3 hydrogens.
Carbon, to obey the octet rule, needs 4 electrons. It binds in a myriad of ways - in organic chemistry - to hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen....
Carbon is said to be hugely 'promiscuous'. It has the ability to bind with so many atoms in so many ways. Carbon is the backbone of carbon chains (with hydrogen: hydrocarbons), strings of carbon atoms that form phospholipids and nucleic acids, the stuff of life. All this bonding and chain forming is determined by the 'personality' giving electrons.
But there are also the nuclear nucleons (protons and neutrons) to consider. The more protons, the greater the attraction to the electrons. This is unless an outer shell has a single electron (like lithium or potassium) in which case the electron is still free to rush away from the attractive nucleus, increasing the area it is likely to exist in and in effect enlarging the atom. The greater the number of electrons in an outer shell (like fluorine) the more effect the nucleus has - a summing effect on all the electrons and effectively shrinking the atom due to the summed nuclear effect on the electrons.
Neutrons give the 'isotope' personality. The greater the number of neutrons the greater the mass of the atom. All atoms of a single element differ not in the number of protons (for example all iron atoms always have 26 protons and all uranium atoms always have 92 protons) but may differ in the number of neutrons. Instability is gleaned in a nucleus if too many neutrons are present. An unstable nucleus is a radioactive nucleus. For example the carbon isotope Carbon-14 has the most neutrons of any carbon isotope and is thus the unstable one.
Electrons, protons and neutrons all give characteristics to differing atoms. Since all elements differ in their neutron, electron and proton numbers, each element gleans its characteristics from this. Its atoms gain their own identity!
What else can I help you with?
Diameter of hydrogen atom compared to nucleus?
The diameter of a hydrogen atom is about 10,000 times larger than the diameter of its nucleus. This is because the nucleus is extremely small compared to the overall size of the atom, with electrons occupying the vast majority of the atom's volume.
What percent of the atom is free space empty of mass?
If the atom's outer boundary is established by the "mean radius of the outermost electron orbital" or something like that, the atom is waaaaaaaaaaay over 99% free space. The hydrogen atom has a diameter over 100,000 times the diameter of the proton in it's nucleus.
What does the mass of an atom consist of?
The mass of an atom consists of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus and contribute most of the atom's mass, while electrons, which have a much smaller mass, orbit around the nucleus.
What contributes to the mass of the atom?
number of protons and number of neutrons
Where does majority of evaporation take place?
The majority of evaporation takes place in the Earth's oceans due to the vast surface area covered by water. This process is driven by the heat from the sun, which causes water molecules at the surface to gain enough energy to transition into water vapor and enter the atmosphere.
What region of an atom has all the weight?
No region has all the weight, but the vast majority of the mass of an atom is in the nucleus.
Are there the same number of protons and neutrons in an atom?
Sometimes yes, but in the vast majority of cases, no.
Does a proton make up the most volume of an atom?
No, a proton is a subatomic particle that is found in the nucleus of an atom. The majority of the volume of an atom is made up of the empty space surrounding the nucleus, where the electrons are found.
What does an atom of 2 protons 2 neutrons and 2 electrons make?
If the atom has a balanced electrical charge, then # of protons = # of electrons, so the atom has 2 protons (Helium). The vast majority of Helium atoms have 2 neutrons.
Where do the vast majority of pulmonary emboli originate?
where does the vast majority of pulmonary emboli orginate
Diameter of hydrogen atom compared to nucleus?
The diameter of a hydrogen atom is about 10,000 times larger than the diameter of its nucleus. This is because the nucleus is extremely small compared to the overall size of the atom, with electrons occupying the vast majority of the atom's volume.
What was the fate of the vast majority of alpha particles in rutherford's gold-foil experiment?
The vast majority of alpha particles passed through the gold foil without being deflected, as the atom is mostly empty space. However, a small fraction of alpha particles were deflected at large angles, indicating the presence of a dense, positively charged nucleus in the atom.
Is the vast majority of the world's volcanoes are above sea level?
The vast majority of the world's volcanoes are above sea level.
Are gay men pedophiles?
The vast majority of gay men are not pedophiles, just as the vast majority of straight men are not pedophiles.
Why is it not necessary to include electrons when determining the mass of an atom?
While electrons do technically have a measurable mass, the proportion of the overall mass of the atom contributed by the electrons is negligible. The protons and neutrons in the nucleus contribute the vast majority of the mass of the atom and thus are the only parts considered.
What particles of atom are found in the nucleus?
The particles of the atom in the nucleus are the protons and neutrons. Protons carry a positive charge and neutrons have no charge. These two make up the vast majority of an atom's mass. Electrons, with their negative charges, orbit the nucleus in different energy levels.
What are the vast majority of adjudications?
UNCONTESTED
