Materials:
- Styrofoam ball (about 4-6 inches in diameter)
- Toothpicks
- Small beads (white, red, and gray)
- Black and silver markers
- Hot glue gun
- Small bowl or container
- Safety goggles
Instructions:
Step 1: Styrofoam Ball Preparation:
1. Put on your safety goggles.
2. Using the black marker, draw a small circle in the center of the Styrofoam ball to represent the nucleus of the beryllium atom.
3. Around the central circle, draw four larger circles to represent the electron shells.
Step 2: Creating the Nucleus:
1. Inside the small circle representing the nucleus, use the silver marker to write "4Be". This represents the element symbol and atomic number of beryllium.
Step 3: Adding Electrons:
1. Take the white beads to represent the four valence electrons of beryllium.
2. Glue one white bead to each of the four toothpicks.
3. Insert the toothpicks with beads into the Styrofoam ball, placing them so that each electron is in one of the four electron shells.
Step 4: Adding Protons and Neutrons:
1. Use the red beads to represent the four protons in the nucleus.
2. Use the gray beads to represent the five neutrons in the nucleus.
3. Hot glue the red and gray beads to the inside of the Styrofoam ball next to the "4Be" label, making sure the total number of protons and neutrons adds up to 9.
Step 5: Final Touches:
1. Use the remaining toothpicks to create "orbitals" around the nucleus.
2. Cut the toothpicks into different lengths and glue them to the Styrofoam ball, surrounding the nucleus and electrons.
3. Use the black marker to label the electron shells as "K" and "L".
Your 3D beryllium model is now complete! This hands-on project can help students visualize the structure of beryllium and understand some basic concepts of atomic structure and composition.