What is The Atom? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts
What is The Atom?
Atoms are the building blocks of all matter in the universe. Atoms are extremely small and are made up of a few even smaller particles. The fundamental particles that make up an atom are electrons, protons, and neutrons. Atoms combine with other atoms to form matter. It takes a lot of atoms to make anything. There are so many atoms in a human body that we won’t even try to write numbers here. Suffice it to say the numbers are trillions and trillions (and even more).
There are different types of atoms depending on the number of electrons, protons, and neutrons each atom contains. Each different type of atom makes up an element. There are 92 natural elements and up to 118 if we count the man-made factors.
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Atoms last a very long time, in most cases forever. They can change and undergo chemical reactions, sharing electrons with other atoms. But the nucleus is very difficult to split, which means most atoms have been there for a long time.
Structure of the Atom
At the center of the atom is the nucleus. The nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons. Electrons revolve around the outside of the nucleus.
The Proton
Proton is a positively charged particle located at the center of an atom in the nucleus. The hydrogen atom is unique in that it has only one proton and no neutrons in its nucleus.
The Electron
Electrons are negatively charged particles that revolve around the outside of the nucleus. Electrons orbit the nucleus so quickly that scientists can never be 100% certain of their positions, but scientists can estimate the positions of electrons. If there are the same number of electrons and protons in an atom, the atom is said to have a neutral charge.
Electrons are attracted to the nucleus by the positive charge of the proton. Electrons are very much smaller than neutrons and protons. About 1800 times smaller!
The Neutron
Neutrons have no electric charge. The number of neutrons affects the mass and radioactivity of an atom.
Other Particles (Which are even smaller!)
Quark – Quarks are very small particles that make up neutrons and protons. Quarks are almost undetectable and only recently have scientists discovered their existence. They were discovered in 1964 by Murray Gell-Mann. There are 6 types of quarks: up, down, top, bottom, charming and strange.