Model the Sub-Atomic Particles in Atoms, Isotopes & Ions! Research-Based & Developed with Support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) With this hands-on lab investigation, students use colored chips and the information from a periodic table to model the sub-atomic particles – protons, neutrons, and electrons – in atoms, isotopes, and ions. They then model the electron configuration within the electron energy levels; and learn how changing the number of protons, neutrons, or electrons leads to different elements, isotopes, or ions.