Diagram of an Atom

The basic diagram of an atom is drawn very easily. Below are basic parts of an atom diagram showing the chemical element and electrons. We will explain the ins and outs of the diagram of an atom and then we will show you how to draw a diagram of an atom for any chemical elements.

How to draw diagram of an atom?

In chemistry, when drawing a diagram of an atom of any chemical elements, first you write down what the chemical element is. For example, if you are drawing a diagram of an atom of Sodium, then write Na down. Then you can draw concentric circles around the chemical symbol according to the rules below. Finally, you can mark on the circles the number of electrons in each orbit.

What are the circles in the diagram of an atom?

The circles in any diagram of an atom represent energy levels or atomic orbitals or shells. These shells can be regarded as a series of concentric spheres. Each shell or energy level or atomic orbital contains a certain maximum number of electrons. The energy levels are usually numbered beginning with the shell nearest to the nucleus. The outer most shell is called the valence shell because it contains the valence leectrons.

What are the basic parts of an atom diagram?

The diagram of an atom above is a Sodium atom. The basic parts of an atom diagram are:

• chemical symbol to at the nucleus to indicate what the element is we are drawing the diagram of the atom of.
• concentric circles representing shells or atomic orbitals.
• crosses representing electrons in each shell or energy level.