Page 27 - Bebop to The Boolean Boogie An Unconventional Guide to Electronics Fundamentals, Components, and Processes

8 ChapterTwo

football fields (excluding the end zones)! Thus, the majority of an atom
consists of empty space. If all the empty space were removed from the atoms
that form a camel, it would be possible for the little rascal to pass through the

eye of a needle! 29394
The number of protons determines the type of the element; for example,
hydrogen has one proton, helium two, lithium three, etc. Atoms vary greatly
in size, from hydrogen with its single proton to those containing hundreds of
protons. The number of neutrons does not necessarily equal the number of
protons. There may be several different flavors, or isotopes, of the same element
differing only in their number of neutrons; for example, hydrogen has three
isotopes with zero, one, and two neutrons, respectively.
Left to its own devices, each proton in the nucleus will have a comple-
mentary electron. If additional electrons are forcibly added to an atom, the
result is a negative ion of that atom; if electrons are forcibly removed from an
atom, the result is a positive ion.
In an atom where each proton is balanced by a complementary electron,
one would assume that the atom would be stable and content with its own
company, but things are not always as they seem. Although every electron
contains the same amount of negative charge, electrons orbit the nucleus at
different levels known as quantum levels or electron shells. Each electron shell
requires a specific number of electrons to fill it; the first shell requires two
electrons, the second requires eight, etc. Thus, although a hydrogen atom
contains both a proton and an electron and is therefore electrically balanced,
it is still not completely happy. Given a choice, hydrogen would prefer to
have a second electron to fill its first electron shell. However, simply adding
a second electron is not the solution; although the first electron shell would
now be filled, the extra electron would result in an electrically unbalanced
negative ion.
Obviously this is a bit of a poser, but the maker of the universe came up
with a solution; atoms can use the electrons in their outermost shell to form

2 I am of course referring to the Bible verse: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than
for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25).
3 In fact, the ‘(needle” was a small, man-sized gate located next to the main entrance to Jerusalem.
4 The author has discovered to his cost that if you call a zoo to ask the cubic volume of the average
adult camel, they treat you as if you are a complete idiot. . . go figure!