Build An Atom Formative Assessment
Build An Atom Formative Assessment
Directions:
1. Explore the Build an Atom simulation for a few minutes.
B. Play until you discover a good rule for making the center of the atom “stable”.
What would be that rule? What seems to make the center of the atom “unstable”?
A rule for making the center of the atom stable would be 7 protons and 7 neutrons. When an atom has
more protons than neutrons or more neutrons than protons the atom becomes unstable.
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C. Complete this table with three examples – at least 1 stable atom and at least 1 unstable atom– that
shows your rules for stability works.
What is in your nucleus? Is it stable or unstable? What Element is it?
Test your idea by identifying the element for the 3 cases. Write down the information you use to
determine the element.
4. Play until you discover some good rules about the charge of your atom or ion.
What is a rule for making:
1) A neutral atom which has no charge.
You need to have more electrons that protons. For example 6 protons, 7 neutrons and 7
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4) Write about how you used the tools in the simulation to help decide if the atom had a positive,
negative, or 0 charge.
Use the table provided below to identify three examples of atoms and ions (1 with neutral charge, 1
with a positive charge, and 1 with a negative charge) that show your rules for charge work and
include a drawing of your atom. (All of your examples should also have a stable nucleus.)
11/13/2018 Loeblein/Perkins http://phet.colorado.edu Page 2
MYP CHEMISTRY BUILD AN ATOM SIMULATION
5. Play until you discover some good rules about the mass of your atom or ion. What is a rule for
determining the mass?
A good rule for determining the mass is adding the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
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6. Using all of your rules, figure out what changes result from each of the changes suggested to an atom or
ion. Make your predictions, then test your ideas with the simulation, write the results on the table
provided. If you have new ideas, rewrite the rules you already stated before.
Make the change: What changes also? Element name, charge, mass?
Add a proton Element name, net charge and mass number
Remove a neutron Mass number and stability of atom
Remove an electron Net charge
Add an electron Net Charge