๐Ÿƒ Wonderleaf

A Wonderleaf question

What are protons, neutrons, and electrons?

What are protons, neutrons, and electrons?

a real page from the book

Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the tiny parts inside atoms, which make up ordinary stuff. Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative charge. The number of protons tells you which element an atom is.

The lovely trick is that electrons do much of the social work. Atoms can share them, trade them, or pass them along, making molecules, sparks, batteries, and the water in a bedtime cup feel connected to the same tiny rules.

Wonder words

  • atom
  • nucleus
  • charge
  • molecule

Try it out

Build atoms with snack pieces: choose one color for protons, one for neutrons, and tiny crumbs for electrons.

Read the whole picture book

Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.

Open the picture book

Keep wondering

One more wonder: Why is space so dark?

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