Do you want to have some fun with the Periodic Table of the Elements?

It’s Presidents’ Day and my second grader has the day off from school.  So we decided to kick back with some marshmallows, food coloring, and our trusty Basher Books.  Then we started building.

Neon

Atomic Number = 10

Atomic Weight = 20.1797

Number of Protons (Large White Marshmallows = 10)

Number of Neutrons = (Large Green Marshmallows = 10)

Number of Electrons = (Little Marshmallows = 10)

By the way, if you are a mom like me, you might need to brush up your atomic knowledge. 

(This page really helped me a lot!)

Here’s some other useful information: 

• The number of protons = the Atomic Number
• The number of protons = the number of electrons
• The electrons are the smallest.  They orbit the nucleus.
• The neutrons are the heaviest part of the atom.  They hang out with the protons in the nucleus.
• The number of neutrons = the Atomic Weight (rounded) – the the Atomic Nunber (also the same as the number of protons)

This is what Silicon looks like:

Here’s our version of Hydrogen:

If you need more inspiration, head over to the blog Morning Hugs and Goodnight Kisses.  Thanks for the idea Michele!