Max's Atom Project - Neon

The criteria was to make an atom using recycled items from home - ie. you weren't allowed to buy any materials for the project.  We scrounged through my vast collection of craft embelishments for inspiration.

Neon has an atomic number of 10 = 10 positive protons (red) and 10 neutral neutrons (green) inside the nucleus.  It then has 2 energy shells / rings with negative electrons on them. 

We painted wooden beads black for the electrons and painted a negative sign on it to show the negative charge.  We used green and red pompoms for the protons and neutrons and painted a white positive sign to show the charge of the protons.

I found a rattan florists ball floating around which we stripped and used the rattan to create the circular energy rings, threading the 'electrons' on to it.  We glued the protons and neutrons onto the middle section which would be our nucleus.

We joined the rings using fishing line so that they swing or rotate individually from one another.