Atoms and Matter
All matter is made up of atoms
Chemisty is about atoms and their interactions with other atoms
Depending upon the time of year, but in particular, during the spring and fall months,the sights and sounds of Nature seem like a finely tuned orchestra with all the musicians working together. Underneath this complicated music of the living process lies fundamental chemistry. So that is where we are going to begin by asking the question, “What is chemistry?” Well that depends upon who you are talking to, but basically chemistry is about atoms and how they interact with one another to produce compounds like the molecular oxygen you breathe or the sugars that you consume when you gulp down that can of soda. So what are these different types of matter made of?
What's an atom?
Everything is made up of atoms
An atom is a submicroscopic particle that serves as the building block for ordinary matter – the stuff you see around you. We use the term “submicroscopic” because you can’t see atoms. No one can. But we know they exist because of sophisticated techniques such as X-ray crystallography and mass spectrometry. Suffice it to say for now, that everything is made up of atoms, although they are too small to see through a microscope. Keep that in mind the next time you kick a soccer ball, or munch on a cookie, or talk to a friend on your cell phone.
Atoms are made of a positive nucleus surrounded by negative electrons
Negative electrons surrounding a positive nucleusAtoms are made up of protons, electrons, and neutrons. The protons and neutrons cluster together into the central part of the atom referred to as the nucleus whereas the electrons orbit around the nucleus. Protons are positively charged, electrons are negatively charged, and neutrons are neutral.
The simplified image to the left shows the parts that make up a carbon atom.
Check your understanding