Oxygen Atom

This atom represents the most common isotope of oxygen ¹⁶O. It has 16 nucleons which are divided into 8 protons and 8 neutrons. This atom is uncharged and has 8 electrons. Note that each electron orbit contains only 2 electrons and they are traveling in opposite directions. The nucleons are also organized in a similar manner - each orbit can only contain two protons and two neutrons. When the lowest possible orbits of a nucleus are filled in this manner, the nucleus is in its lowest energy state called the ground state.