---
title: Introduction
allDay: false
startTime: 18:00
endTime: 21:00
date: 2024-08-27
completed: null
---
# Parts and things related to atoms
Four main components
1. **Electron**
	1. Basically massless. 
	2. Don't have a huge effect on the nuclear physics.
2. **Proton**
	1. Do have mass! 
	2. Determine what the element is.
3. **Neutron**
	1. Are the fuel. Hit things fast
	2. Don't change element by number.
	3. 
4. **Photon**
	1. Don't really interact with matter
	2. Can actually be a safety concern. Can harm people.
5. Bonus! **Neutrino**
	1. Basically no mass.
	2. Balance out the energy equations.
	3. Light :)

The nucleus is really, really small.
For $^4 He$ , $V_\text{nucleus} / V_\text{atom} = 2.6\times 10^-12$ 

# Atom Identification
## $^A_Z X$ 
* A is the atomic mass
* Z is the atomic number
* X is the element symbol
Some examples:
$^{235}_{92} U$ $^4_2 He$ $^1_1 H$ 

**Nuclide** - A type of atom characterized by the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of every atom of this type
**Isotopes** - Atoms with the same number of protons but containing different numbers of neutrons.
**Isotopic Abundance** - The percentage of an element that is a certain isotope. Sometimes abbreviated (a/o)