At a physics lesson, many went through the structure of the atom. You should understand its structure and functions in order to delve into the topic. Scientists have given a definite answer to the question of what atoms are made of.
What is an atom?
The school curriculum says that an atom is the smallest particle of any chemical element. Therefore, he is in everything that surrounds the world. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about an inanimate or animate object. Any object on the lower chemical and physiological layers consists of atoms. Another question is what the particle consists of.
Atoms are elements that make up a molecule. However, they are not the smallest in the universe. There are also quarks that are not customary to talk about at school or even at a higher educational institution. They are smaller than atoms, they are a chemical element without an internal structure. In structure, they are much lighter than parts of the molecule. Scientists have discovered 6 varieties of quarks.
Interesting fact: quarks have unusual names - upper, lower, strange, true, charmed and charming. Particles prefer to form from two or three quarks. In the first case, they are called mesons, and in the second - baryons. Moreover, quarks never appear one at a time.
Atom structure
In the universe, every item consists of something. Suppose a chair is made of wood, and it is made of molecules. The composition of the molecules includes atoms. They have a nucleus inside which neutrons and protons. Everyone had to hear this in physics lessons.Protons are particles with a positive charge. Neutrons have no charge. Around the nucleus there is an electric cloud inside which electrons move. They are considered negatively charged elements. The number of protons and electrons can vary.
It is believed that each of the microparticles is universal. Two different electrons, a proton or a neutron, cannot be found in the world. They are completely alike. The properties of an atom change depending on the number of particles in the composition.
Let's say 1 hydrogen atom consists of 1 electron and 1 proton. This is the simplest element. The helium atom has 2 neutrons, 2 protons and 2 electrons. Its structure never changes. A lithium atom is created from 4 neutrons, 3 protons and 3 electrons. There are other substances, and scientists distinguish them depending on the composition.
Atoms are always connected by molecules, and those into organisms, minerals. Therefore, everything in this world is made of the smallest particles. Suppose a DNA molecule is the basis of all living organisms. It is complex, but made from the same key elements as inanimate objects. It is worth noting that any dense matter 99% consists of energy bonds between the above particles. The remaining 1% are physical forms.
What scientists and ancient thinkers say about the atom
For all time, many interesting assumptions about the atom have been put forward. You can highlight the most interesting of them.
Democritus thought that the property of an object depends on the shape of the atom. Suppose a fluid is made of smooth atoms.That is, according to the ancient Greek philosopher, milk and water consist of similar particles.
In the 20th century, scientists assumed that the atom resembles a planet. This is due to the fact that the element, like Saturn, has rings around the core. Electrons move along them. Although a planet with atoms is similar, the theory has received a refutation.
Rutherford-Bohr model was considered the most accurate. The scientist noted that an atom is similar to a nucleus that has a positive charge, and atoms move around it. At the same time, modern scientists have found that the motion of electrons is chaotic, and they do not have a specific direction.
Atom is the main unit of matter. It consists of a proton, an electron and a neutron. They are built of quarks. An atom is part of a molecule that is present in all surrounding objects and living organisms. Scientists say that everything in the world is just the energy state of the infinite fields present in the space of the universe.
