Atom meaning (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Atom:

Atom is known as the minimum unit of a substance, which makes up all common or ordinary matter. If the atoms of some matter can be divided, this matter could be destroyed.

Each thing, substance or matter has different amounts of atoms that compose it, however, atoms are made up of even smaller particles such as subatomic particles, called protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Inside the atom, we can find protons and neutrons in their central part, that is, in the nucleus, the electrons are in a kind of orbit around that central part called the nucleus, and these in turn weigh less than protons, and neutrons.

The unity of several atoms with each other results in the formation of molecules that follow subatomic particles, and the atom itself is the smallest unit of matter.

See also:

• Electron Neutron Matter Properties of Matter

In chemistry, it is said to be the smallest part of an element that can intervene in a chemical reaction. During chemical reactions, atoms are conserved as such, they are not created or destroyed, but they are organized differently, creating different bonds between one atom and another.

Due to the great chemical scholars who managed to demonstrate and discover that any object, thing, solid, and even liquids, and gases themselves, can be decomposed into different elements, such as the example of water, since each molecule of this It is made up of two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen (H2O).

Despite all this, it should be noted that not all matter in the universe is composed of an atom, since dark matter constitutes more of the universe than matter, and this is not made up of atoms but of particles of a currently unknown type.

Finally, in relation to its etymological origin, the word atom comes from the Greek, which refers to "that which is inseparable or that cannot be divided".

The atom can be referred to in other areas such as:

Atom in philosophy

The doctrine of atomism, defended by the philosophers Leucippus and Democritus of Abdera, reveal that reality is made up of atoms, being small and indivisible particles.

On the other hand, according to philosophy, the theory of the atom is characterized by the immutability of the elements and of the species, which means that fire will always be fire, when we see it and when we don't; that water is always water, and so on.

Dalton's Atom

John Dalton presented the first atomic model, which postulated that matter is made up of small, indivisible and indestructible particles, called atoms. On the other hand, atoms have their own weight and qualities.

Thomson's Atom

In the year 1897, Joseph John Thomson discovered the electron, which deduced that matter was made up of a positive part, and a negative part. The negative part formed by electrons, immersed in a mass of positive charge.

Then Jean Perrin proposed a model in which the electrons were on the outside, causing the positive charge.

Neutral atom

A neutral atom is characterized by a lack of electric charge. Electrons are negatively charged and protons are positively charged. In conclusion, a neutral atom has the same number of electrons as protons.

See also:

• Physics Chemical Element Atomic Orbital