Ans: The nucleus of the atom consists of protons and neutrons. They are the types of subatomic particles. Protons are positively charged while on the other hand, the neutrons do not have any charge.
The nucleus is present in the centre of the atom and makes up the mass of the atoms. Due to the strong nuclear force, the protons and neutrons are tightly packed in the nucleus. The nuclear force overcomes the electromagnetic repulsion of the positively charged protons that will keep the nucleus together.
The total number of neurons and protons in the nucleus will make up the mass number of the atom. The Mass number is represented by the symbol A. The atomic number of an atom is the number of protons in its nucleus. It is represented by the symbol Z. In an atom, the number of electrons and number of neutrons are equal. The nucleus stabilises the atoms and also is responsible for the property of the atom.
According to the school textbooks, the man credited by modern science for managing extensive research work on atoms and developing atomic theory goes to an English chemist and physicist John Dalton. However, it might be surprising for many people today but some early records or shreds of evidence show that the concept of atoms was actually formulated much earlier.
The recorded history of the atom started around 450 B.C. with a Greek philosopher commonly known as Democritus. Often, he used to wonder that if a piece of the matter was cut into smaller and smaller portions then the process would get to a point where that matter could not be divided into finer or smaller pieces. He named these indivisible pieces or basic units atoms (uncuttable) which lately translated to the modern term atom.
So the basic idea that matter comprises tiny indivisible particles is actually quite old. It has been existing not only in ancient Greece cultures but in India as well. However, the only reason that these we discredit was because this ancient idea was majorly based on philosophical reasoning rather than scientific reasoning.
Scientifically, John Dalton did revive Democritus’s early ideas about the atom and he organized many experiments that provided evidence for the existence of atoms. Often, he has been referred to as the father of atoms or atomic theory.
Read More: Structure of Atom