Why electrons are important

They are generally negative in charge and are much smaller than the nucleus of the atom. If you wanted a proper size comparison the size of the earth in comparison to the sun would be a pretty close visualization.

Electrons are known to fall into orbits or energy levels. These orbits are not visible paths like the orbit of a planet or celestial body.

The reason is that atoms are notoriously small and the best microscopes can only view so much of atoms at that scale. Even if we could view electrons they would move too fast for the human eye. They can only estimate their locations. That is why the modern model of the atoms has an electron cloud surrounding the nucleus of an atom instead of a defined system of electrons in concentric orbits.

Electrons are also important for the bonding of individual atoms together. With out this bonding force between atoms matter would not be able to interact in the many reactions and forms we see every day. This interaction between the outer electron layers of an atom is call atomic bonding.

It can occur in two forms. One is covalent bonding where atoms share electrons in their outer orbits. The other is ionic bonding where an atom gives up electrons to another atom.

In either case bonding must meet specific rules. The overall shape of the shells changes depending on how many electrons an element has. The higher the atomic number, the more shells and electrons an atom will have. The overall shell shape will also be more complex because of the suborbitals as you have more electrons. Creating Bonds Electrons play a major role in all chemical bonds. There is one type of bonding called electrovalent bonding ionic , where an electron from one atom is transferred to another atom.

You wind up creating two ions as one atom loses an electron and one gains one. The second type of bonding is called covalent bonding, where electrons are actually shared between two or more atoms in a cloud.

Both types of bonds have specific advantages and weaknesses. Power Up! Electrons are very important in the world of electronics.

The very small particles can stream through wires and circuits, creating currents of electricity. The electrons move from negatively charged parts to positively charged ones. The negatively charged pieces of any circuit have extra electrons, while the positively charged pieces want more electrons. The electrons then jump from one area to another.