What is an atom made of? The building block under the microscope
Learn in this practical tip what an atom consists of and how it is made up. If you look closely, as science does, you will see that everything that exists is made up of atoms.
What is an atom - The structure
An atom is the smallest building block of all substances. Atoms cannot be broken down further with the chemical methods known to us. It is also the building material on which everything is based.
- An atom consists of two different things: the atomic nucleus and the atomic shell.
- The atomic nucleus consists of electrically positively charged protons and neutrally charged neutrons.
- The atomic shell is almost massless and has electronically negatively charged electrons on the outer rings.
- The mass of an atom is concentrated in the nucleus.
- The atomic nucleus and the atomic shell hold together through the electromagnetic force.
- This force decides whether a matter is neutral or ionized and whether the atoms can be bound together even though they consist of different elements.
This is how atoms stick together
It is difficult to understand why atoms can join together. Below is a simplified explanation.
- If at least two atoms link together, one speaks of a molecule.
- Generally described, the atoms are connected to each other with the electron pair bond.
- Which atom is connected to another atom depends on the substance.
Are you unsure about the correct pronunciation of chemistry? In our next practical tip you will learn how to pronounce the word "chemistry" correctly.