- 1). Form sixteen 1/4-inch balls of clay to create the nucleus' protons. Make an additional sixteen 1/4-inch balls, using a different clay color, for the neutrons, and another sixteen balls of a third color for the electrons.
- 2). Blend the proton and neutron balls together to create the atom's nucleus. Push gently the balls together, so that they don't lose their shape. Use a ruler to measure the nucleus' diameter.
- 3). Bend iron wires carefully, to create circles representing the sulfur atom's three energy levels. The diameter of the first level -- the one closest to the nucleus -- must equal 1.5 times the nucleus' diameter. The second level's diameter must be an inch larger than the first level's but an inch smaller that the third level's.
- 4). Use a different color of insulating tape to wrap around each wire and keep the circle's shape. Place two electron balls on the first energy level, eight balls on the second and six balls on the third. The exact position of the clay balls on the wire does not matter.
- 5). Put the nucleus ball on a blank paper surface. Place the energy levels around it, so that you have three concentric circles with the nucleus in the center. Add a legend on the paper, explaining what each color of balls and wires represents.
SHARE
