Atoms are often thought of as the smallest components of life. They are what make the elements, and atoms of the same element have the same properties.
Every atom can be broken down into subatomic particles. The three basic ones are the proton, neutron, and electron. Each subatomic particle has its own electrical charge. The proton has a positive charge, the neutron is neutral, and the electron has a negative charge. Each of these is needed to maintain the balance that holds an atom together.
To explain further, the atom consists of a nucleus. The protons and neutrons reside inside of the nucleus and are called nucleons. The electrons move around the nucleus in energy levels or energy shells. Energy levels can be described as the path in which the electron orbits the nucleus, and there can be more than one energy level depending on the element.
Each electron is repelled by other electrons, and protons are also repelled by other protons. Electrons and protons however are attracted to each other and this is important as their attraction is what holds the atom together. The electrons orbit freely around the atom, but are held close to it because of their attraction to the protons within the nucleus. Additionally, the electrons are evenly spaced out around the nucleus because they are repelled by the other electrons. Furthermore, an atom is considered to be stable when it has the same amount of protons and neutrons.
Most of the atom's mass comes from the nucleus as protons and neutrons weigh significantly more than the electrons.
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