THE ATOM

Everything in the universe metals, stars, the air we breathe, and we ourselves is made up
of combinations of different chemical elements. There are 109 known chemical elements, such as
oxygen, aluminum, carbon, and uranium. The building blocks of these chemical elements are called
atoms.
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a
cloud of negatively charged electrons. It can be divided into three smaller particles: protons,
neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons form the nucleus of the atom. The electrons turn
around the nucleus. Except for hydrogen, which has a centre with a single proton, the nucleus is
always composed of protons and neutrons.
These particles can be even further divided into smaller parts. However, this is the proper
study of a branch of physics. In general, chemistry deals with what happens between atoms during
chemical changes. Physics concerns itself with activity inside an atom.
The number of protons in an atomic nucleus identifies an atom as being an atom of a
particular element. All atoms with just one proton in the nucleus are atoms of the element hydrogen;
all those with two protons are atoms of helium, and so on. The number of protons is called the
atomic number. This is also the number by which the element is identified in the periodic table of
the elements.
Electricity is the energy that binds together the parts of an atom. A proton in the atomic
nucleus is electrically positive. An electron, rotating around that nucleus, is electrically negative.
The attraction of these opposite electric charges keeps the electron spinning around the proton. In a
neutral atom, the numbers of protons and electrons are equal.
The number of neutrons, which have no electric charge, may vary. This produces different
isotopes of the same element. The number of protons must remain constant. Otherwise, the atom
would become an atom of another element. The sum of an atom's pro-tons and neutrons is called the
mass number. Thus, different isotopes of the same element have the same atomic numbers, but
different mass numbers. In general, the different isotopes of an element behave in a similar manner
chemically. However, their physical properties may vary slightly.
Chemistry is concerned with the way in which atoms interact. In particular, it is the study of
the millions of different combinations that are known as compounds. Compounds are formed when
atoms of different elements chemically combine with each other. When atoms of the same element
bind together, they form homogeneous molecules. When atoms of different elements bind together,
they form heterogeneous molecules. Compounds are composed only of heterogeneous molecules. A
compound must contain at least two different elements. Molecules and compounds are formed when
changes occur at the atomic level in the atoms of the elements. These changes depend on the
electrons rather than on the protons or neutrons of atoms.