In examining atomic structure though, we have to clarify this statement. An atom cannot be broken down further without changing the chemical nature of the substance. For example, if you have 1 ton, 1 gram or 1 atom of oxygen, all of these units have the same properties. We can break down the atom of oxygen into smaller particles, however, when we do the atom looses its chemical properties. For example, if you have 100 watches, or one watch, …showed first 75 words of 1156 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1156 total…Two isotopes of hydrogen Hydrogen Atomic Mass = 1 Atomic Number = 1 Deuterium Atomic Mass = 2 Atomic Number = 1 If you would like to explore the interaction of protons and electrons further, the University of Colorado's Physics 2000 site has an interesting experiment posted on line. At the Electrical Force page, you can place an electron next to a proton and see how the electron moves. You can even try to build your own atom (and see how difficult it is)!