The atom is comprised of a nucleus, which contains protons, neutrons, and the strong nuclear interaction holding them together, and orbiting electrons, which interact with the nucleus through the electromagnetic interaction. The quantized orbit of the electrons give the atom volume, while Pauli exclusion prevents atom overlapping with other atoms. Both phenomena result in a atom that can be modelled as a hard sphere.

The atom is a hard sphere composed of a nucleus, protons, neutrons, and orbiting electrons, with Pauli exclusion preventing atom overlap with other atoms.

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The Atom: science

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