Did You Know?
Atoms have a central area called the nucleus. Protons are positively charged particles in an atom’s nucleus. Also in the nucleus are neutrons, particles with no charge.
Neutrons and protons have about 2000 times as much mass as do electrons, thus the nucleus is the most massive part of the atom. While the nucleus is the most massive part of the atom, it is very small compared to the size of the atom. Most diagrams, including those in found in this website show the nucleus in an atom to be much larger than it really is. In fact, if an atom were the size of a sports stadium, the nucleus would be no larger than a marble in the center.