【英语时差8,16】原子理论和空间（下）

（单词翻译）

But wait! What about the protons and neutrons¹ and stuff? Well, they’re in there, but only in the very center. That’s called the nucleus². An atom’s nucleus is surrounded by a cloud of orbiting electrons. Virtually all the mass of the atom — the stuff and not the fluff — is in the nucleus. And the nucleus is incredibly tiny compared to the overall size of the atom. In fact, it’s about a hundred thousand times smaller. It’s like a speck³ of dust floating around inside a cathedral. In between the dust speck and the cathedral walls is nothing but space. So you are made up of things that are mostly empty space, with occasional specks⁴ floating in them. Does it make you feel kind of empty, too? Don’t worry. Every other object in the world, from a pebble⁵ to Mount Everest, is the same way.