What are the similarities and differences between atom structure and solar system?

Answer 1

None. Many people think of atoms as miniature "solar systems" but that idea is very very wrong and misguided. Electrons do NOT orbit around the nucleus of an atom like the planets orbit the sun. At all. Not even a little bit. But teachers often make the comparison because it is pretty hard to understand how it really works!

Answer 2

Yes...

Most planetary systems consist of mass bodies (planets) orbiting around a star.
Electrons (negative charged) traverse outside the nucleus in shells (orbitals).

A single star is at the center of most planetary systems.
A single nucleus is at the center of an atomic system.

The ratio of mass between an electron and proton is close to the ratio between Uranus and the Sun (Uranus is common amongst known planets and the Sun is an average star).
An atom this size would be an octillian times larger than the universe (Atomic Mass is more spread out than celestial bodies).

Each object in space spins on it's own axis.
Each electron, neutron, proton also have spin.

The attraction of mass, known as gravity, holds our Solar System together.
The attraction of opposite charges, known as electromagneticism, draw the electron and proton together.

Speed causes each planet to orbit a given distance from the Sun.
The charges of electrons force one another into shells at varying distances around the nucleus.

While moons appear to orbit planets and the planets appear to orbit the sun. Two equal sized bodies will orbit a point between themselves. Pluto and Charon orbit a central location outside of either body.
In atomic systems (elements), protons (positive charged) and neutrons (neutral charged), which make up a nucleus, may traverse around a central point inside the nucleus.

As celestrial bodies move through space their charges can change.
The charge of an atom can change during a chemical reaction.

The bodies of planetary systems have varying mass.
The atomic world tends to be broken into pieces of standard mass.

Answer 3

They can probably be compared because the solar system has a center which would be the Sun with planets orbiting the Sun.

In the same way, an atom has a center which is the nucleus, surrounded by "shells" of electrons around it.

However, there are also a lot of differences. To describe atomic structure you need "quantum theory", which is very complicated.

Answer 4

That is a popular concept. The difficulty is how do you capture a reflection in that dimension of a still frame image in a reality that billions of years (10 with 16 zeros) go by while your trying to get a still frame flash of that perspective event (solar system in action) to blow up to the size of our reality to show ~ it is so? The simple truth in my heavens wonder remains in mister E of Time and space where we find the truth of what we believe we also find the master of our understanding.

The work of Niels Bohr was based on that theory. He also worked on the Manhattan Project.

Answer 5

Both systems involved a "central" area. In an atom electrons orbit a central nucleus, while in the solar system the planets orbit the Sun. In both examples the central area is many times larger than the various things orbiting it.

Aside from that however there are a number of differences. There is obviously a difference in size (the solar system being many times larger than atoms). As well as this there is a difference in the forces involved. Planets orbit the Sun due to gravity, whereas atoms are held due to the weak nuclear force. Also there is a difference in the shape of the orbits: in the solar system planets orbits are elliptical, while (under Bohr's model of the atom) the orbits of electrons are circular.

Answer 6

Well, an atom is on of the smallest things in the world, when the solar system is bigger. The solar system is mainly composed of hydrogen, helium, carbon, iron, methane, nitrogen and rocks. There are many many planets and things to the solar system, but everything is made of atoms, and basically everything is a bunch of atoms, different atoms together.

Answer 7

No, but they sure look similar.

The center of the solar system is the sun which keeps the planets, asteroids, and other things orbiting it in place using gravity. Most of the planets and other objects are more or less in a single plane that was formed by an accretion disk.

The center of an atom is the nucleus. It is made of protons which have positive charge. The protons use the electrostatic force to hold the atoms electrons, which have a negative charge in place. Electrons do not fall in a single plane like the planets do and do not orbit the nucleus in fixed circles, rather they are found at random in areas of high probability called orbitals that have a variety of shapes and sizes. Often times, orbitals containing electrons are called electron clouds because that is how we picture them. Old science videos and Cartoons often draw atoms with electrons orbiting a nucleus like planets orbiting a sun, but now we know that that is not the case.

Answer 8

Evolution Sucks! GO GOD!