!!! The Atom !!!?

Question

Three questions really:

1. How many different types of atom are there?
2. How are electrons generated/formed?
3. Are there any scientific links between the layout of the atom, and that of a 'solar system'?

Answer 1

1. How many types there are depends on what you consider a "type". There are 91 naturally occurring elements on Earth, and117 elements that have been observed at least briefly. Many of these elements have multiple isotopes depending on how many neutrons are in the nucleus, and again, there's a difference between naturally occurring isotopes and those that can be produced for a split second in a lab.

2. Electrons formed shortly after the big bang. They can also be emitted from a nucleus via beta decay, in which a neutron turns into a proton.

3. No. Solar systems and atoms have totally different forms. The electrons in an atom exist as wave functions, and can only exist at specific energies. The position of an electron can be described only as a probability function. The schoolbook illustration of little electron balls in circular orbits around the nucleus is highly simplified.

Answer 2

There's only really one type of atom, it just comes in 117 sizes, many possible alternative isotopes.

Electrons, as an intrinsic part of the atom was formed at the same time as the other parts of the atom which make up its nucleus, which is to say at the moment of the Big Bang, when all matter was created.

Physicists are still arguing over the formulation of a 'unification' theory which will show the reasons for the differences in behaviour of matter on an atomic scale (quantum physics) and physics on a Universal scale (Astro physics). If and when such a unification theory can be proved and mathematically equated, someone will be able to answer your third question, though I suspect there are few in the world who would fully understand their answer.

Answer 3

There are 117 different types of atom, one for each element

Electrons are always there, there are not formed

only that an exploding atom probably caused the big bang, therefore creating the universe