Questions: Atomic Structure NEW
What part of an atom makes up most of the volume of an atom?
neutrons
electron cloud
protons
nucleus
Transcript text: Atomic Structure NEW
What part of an atom makes up most of the volume of an atom?
neutrons
electron cloud
protons
nucleus
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Understanding the Structure of an Atom
An atom consists of a nucleus, which contains protons and neutrons, and an electron cloud, which surrounds the nucleus. The nucleus is very small compared to the overall size of the atom.
Step 2: Analyzing the Volume Contribution
The electron cloud occupies the majority of the space in an atom. Although the nucleus contains most of the atom's mass, it is extremely small in volume. The electron cloud, despite being composed of particles with negligible mass, extends over a much larger area.
Step 3: Identifying the Correct Answer
Given that the electron cloud occupies most of the space in an atom, it is responsible for most of the atom's volume.