1. The Atom – Atom Building Game
CPO Science

2. Key Questions What are atoms and how are they put together?
What does atomic structure have to do with the periodic table?
These are the key questions we will be investigating in this workshop. The investigations we will perform in this workshop are actually excerpts from investigation numbers 18.2 and (Comparing Atoms), 18.3 (The Periodic Table of Elements),
Key questions already investigated:
What sorts of discoveries have been made about atomic structure?
How was the size of an atom’s nucleus determined?

3. Subatomic Particles
What three basic particles make up all atoms?

4. Subatomic Particles Protons Neutrons Electrons
Interestingly, many times rooms full of science people will recite these particles in this exact order.

5. Subatomic Particles
The marbles represent these particles. Can you guess which marble represents which particle?
Everyone will guess that the small yellow marbles are electrons, which is correct. The electron is represented with a small marble because it contributes almost no mass to the atom. However, no one will know for sure which particle goes with red and blue marbles, since they are the same size and protons and neutrons contribute equally to the mass of the atom.
The electron is actually about 1/1800th the mass of the proton or neutron, so the discrepancy in actual size is quite pronounced in the physical world. Here we are using a model, and we want to get the point across that the electron is smaller than the proton and neutron, which the different size marbles demonstrates. This is a qualitative concept.

6. Subatomic Particles
Now see if you can determine which are protons and which are neutrons:
The following slide will present a puzzle to the participants; working through the puzzle will allow them to figure out what color the protons and neutrons are.

7. Building Atoms
Several groups build an atom with: 7 blues, 6 reds, 6 yellows
Others build an atom with 8 yellows, 8 reds, and 9 blues
Others build an atom with: 15 yellows, 16 blues, 15 reds
Several groups build an atom with: 7 blues, 6 reds, 6 yellows
Others build an atom with: 15 yellows, 16 blues, 15 reds
Others build an atom with 8 yellows, 8 reds, and 9 blues
Now can you figure out which is which?
Participants will now know that reds are protons, since in a neutral atom, the number of electrons (yellows) must equal the number of protons (reds). The blue marbles are therefore neutrons.
What atom did each group build?
(start with first groups on list – Carbon, then Phosphorus, then Oxygen)
Why did we choose these atoms? CPO!

8. The Game of Atomic Challenge
4 players or teams per board
Each player starts with 6 blues, 5 reds, and 5 yellows in their board pocket.
Each player takes turns adding marbles to the atom (up to 5 per turn) to make real, stable atoms.
The first player to lose all their marbles wins!!!
4 players or teams per board
Each player starts with 6 blues, 5 reds, and 5 yellows in their board pocket.
Each player takes turns adding marbles to the atom (up to 5 per turn) to make real, stable atoms.
The first player to lose all their marbles wins!!!
Now that we know how the model is set up, let’s apply our knowledge of atomic structure. Here are the rules of the game called “Atomic Challenge”

9. Atom Building Reminders
Remember to follow these rules when building atoms! If another player challenges your atom, and if your atom is indeed incorrect, you must remove all marbles on the board and put them in your board pocket! If the challenger is wrong, that player loses a turn. You can trade marbles with the bank if you want to skip a turn. The number you put in the bank must equal the number you take back out, but the colors can be different.
You may stop here if necessary. Up to this point, the workshop should take about 30 min.

10. Building Atoms using Nuclear Particle Cards
Each player starts with 7 blues, 7 reds, and 7 yellows in the board pocket.
4 players or teams per board
Shuffle cards and deal 5 per player
On each turn, play a card and add or take particles as the card instructs
On some turns you will score points; on other turns you will not (you may be blocking an opponent)
Each player starts with 7 blues, 7 reds, and 7 yellows in the board pocket.
Now we will advance one step further, and play another version of the atom building game, this time using the nuclear reaction cards.
The rules for playing this game are on this slide
See next slide for a summary of how points are scored

11. Scoring Points: If your move…
Creates or leaves a stable nucleus, you score 1 point
Creates or leaves a neutral atom, you score 1 point
Creates a perfect, neutral atom with a stable nucleus, you score 3 points
First person to 15 points wins!
It is important to note that in this game, you don’t have to build a perfect atom to score points. You can score 1 point if you achieve a stable nucleus, even if the number of protons and electrons are not equal. You can also score 1 point if you achieve a neutral atom, even if the nucleus does not contain a number of neutrons that would represent a stable isotope. However, if you DO achieve a perfect atom in one turn, you can score 3 points. Of course, if you inherit a stable nucleus from the previous player, and you just make the protons and electrons equal each other, you will leave a perfect atom after your turn and you can score all 3 points!!!
You might want to put the Atom Building Reminders slide back up so people can refer to it