Quantum Atoms

The most accurate description of an atom comes from quantum mechanics theory. Quantum mechanics states that an atom is composed of three subatomic particles; protons, neutrons and electrons. The protons and neutrons are located in the centre of the nucleus of the atom. The nucleus is tiny compared to the size of the atom as a whole. It is, therefore, the electrons that occupy the majority of the space within the atom. A visualisation of an atom is consequently a visual representation of the electrons and the orbitals they exist within.

In quantum mechanics theory, electrons are particles with no physically defined shape, nor are they confined to a single location in time. To study this elusive particle, scientists have developed models based on the probability of where the electron is most likely to be found within a given space. According to contemporary quantum mechanics theory, the most accurate visualisation of an atoms appearance is a probability distribution of where an electron is most likely to be within an atom.