Final answer:
The nucleus of most atoms consists of protons, carrying a positive charge, and neutrons, which are neutral. These subatomic particles are tightly packed in the center of the atom, with electrons orbiting around them.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nucleus of most atoms is composed of two types of subatomic particles: protons, which carry a positive electric charge, and neutrons, which have no electric charge and are neutral. These particles are also referred to as nucleons. While protons and neutrons are located within the nucleus, the atom itself is largely empty space, with electrons orbiting around this central nucleus. The protons and neutrons are tightly packed into an extremely small space relative to the size of the atom, exemplified by if an atom were the size of a major league baseball stadium, the nucleus would be about the size of the actual baseball. It is important to note that hydrogen is the only exception to this structural description, as the most common isotope of hydrogen has only one proton and one electron, with no neutrons present.