1. Atoms are the building blocks of matter and too small to see easily. They have a nucleus containing protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons.
2. The nucleus contains protons, which have a positive charge, and neutrons, which have no charge. Electrons orbit the nucleus and have a negative charge.
3. Rutherford's gold foil experiment showed that atoms have small, dense nuclei, overturning the plum pudding model. This led to the development of the Rutherford-Bohr model in which electrons orbit the nucleus in defined energy levels.