Atoms are composed of three particles, namely protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons and neutrons together form the nucleus of an atom, while the electrons move around the nucleus. The protons and electrons carry a charge, while the neutrons are neutral and carry no charge. Protons are positively charged, while electrons are negatively charged. So, the opposing charges of the protons and electrons form an electromagnetic force that keeps the electrons and protons attracted to one another.

The atomic number of an atom is dependent on the number of protons present in the atoms. This helps to identify different types of atoms. Atoms of the same element have similar atomic numbers. Let us look at an example. If we look at a hydrogen atom, its atomic number is one. This means that an atom of hydrogen has just a single proton in its nucleus. The mass of an atom is calculated by totaling up the number of protons and neutrons present in the nucleus. One thing to note is that the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons, but the number of neutrons can vary in an atom. So, based on this, the mass of atoms can also vary. When atoms of the same element have different number of neutrons, they are known as isotopes.

So, now you have the basic idea as to what makes up an atom.

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