What Atoms Are Made Of
All atoms are made up of three main subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge (neutral), and electrons have a negative charge. Because all subatomic particles of the same type have the same charge electromagnetic forces cause them to repel each other, kind of like the same side of two magnets. This is why there are neutrons; since they have no charge they do not repel any other subatomic particle allowing protons and neutrons to come together and form atoms. The protons and neutrons are held together by the Strong Nuclear Force (SNF). The clumped-together protons and neutrons in the center of an atom is called the nucleus. Electrons the smallest of the three main subatomic particles orbit around the nucleus of an atom inside electron clouds.
Beleive it or not protons, neutrons, and electrons are not the smallest particles. Inside of the three main ones are smaller particles called quarks. Then inside of those are even smaller particles called strings. Strings are the smallest particles in existance, they are so small that if an atom were the size of the solar system then a string would be the size of a tree. These strings are constantly vibrating. Because of these strings nothing is ever actually touching anything else. If you put your hand down on a table you aren't actually touching it but you can still feel it because the strings in the atoms of your hand and of the table are vibrating off each other.
