Name_______________________
Atomic Mapping
The nucleus of an atom contains the vast majority of the mass of an atom, but only
1/100,000 of the volume. A bowling ball in front of the classroom is going to be used to
measure represent the nucleus of the atom. How big would the electron cloud of this
atom be?
Procedure
1. Measure the circumference of the bowling ball. To do this, measure the area
around the ball, using a flexible ruler in centimeters. Record your answer below
2. C= __68.5 cm_____
3. Divide the circumference by 2 to get the radius of the bowling ball. Record your
answer below.
4. R= ____________
5. The radius of the atom is 100,000 times larger than the radius of the nucleus so
multiply your radius by 100,000. Then convert your measurement from
centimeters to meters, so divide by 100.
6. Record this distance below
7. R= _____________
8. The map on the reverse has a scale in the upper left corner. It has a white bar with
the number 3200 m. Measure the white bar in centimeters. Record its value
below.
9. ________________
10. To determine how big of a circle to draw. Multiply your values for #7 x #9 and
divide by the 3200. This is the radius of your atom in centimeters on the map on
the reverse. Record it below.
11. ________________
12. Draw a circle on the map on the reverse side of this paper with a radius that you
calculated in #11 using the star, the location of the high school, as the center.
13. This would be the size of an atom with a radius the size of this bowling ball.
Map of Copley