Atoms are the basic unit of matter and are composed of subatomic particles - protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus, which determines the atom's mass. Electrons orbit the nucleus. An atom is neutral if it has an equal number of protons and electrons. Several models have been proposed to describe the atomic structure, from Dalton's solid sphere model to Rutherford's nuclear model to Bohr's shells model. Modern atomic theory is based on wave mechanics and electrons are described as probability distributions rather than definite orbits.