Approximately what percentage of the volume of an atom is considered to be empty space?

• A. Over 99.9%
• B. Less than 1%
• C. Around 10%
• D. About 50%

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the structure of an atom: an atom consists of a tiny, dense nucleus surrounded by electrons that occupy a much larger volume.
2. Recall that the nucleus contains nearly all the mass of the atom but occupies an extremely small fraction of the atom's total volume.
3. Recognize that the electrons are distributed in a cloud around the nucleus, but the space between the nucleus and the outer boundary of the electron cloud is mostly empty space.
4. From experimental evidence and atomic models, it is known that the volume occupied by the nucleus is negligible compared to the overall size of the atom, making the atom mostly empty space.
5. Therefore, the percentage of the volume of an atom that is empty space is over 99.9%, meaning almost the entire volume of an atom is empty space.