Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
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[edit] Atoms
The atom is a basic unit of matter consisting of a dense, central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons (except in the case of Hydrogen-1, which is the only stable isotope with zero neutrons). The electrons of an atom are bound to the nucleus by the electromagnetic force. Likewise, a group of atoms can remain bound to each other, forming a molecule. An atom containing an equal number of protons and electrons is electrically neutral, otherwise it has a positive or negative charge and is an ion. An atom is classified according to the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus: the number of protons determines the chemical element, and the number of neutrons determine the isotope of the element.
The name atom comes from the Greek ἄτομος/átomos, α-τεμνω, which means uncuttable, something that cannot be divided further. The concept of an atom as an indivisible component of matter was first proposed by early Indian and Greek philosophers. In the 17th and 18th centuries, chemists provided a physical basis for this idea by showing that certain substances could not be further broken down by chemical methods. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, physicists discovered subatomic components and structure inside the atom, thereby demonstrating that the 'atom' was not indivisible. The principles of quantum mechanics were used to successfully model the atom.
Relative to everyday experience, atoms are minuscule objects with proportionately tiny masses. Atoms can only be observed individually using special instruments such as the scanning tunneling microscope. Over 99.9% of an atom's mass is concentrated in the nucleus, with protons and neutrons having roughly equal mass. Each element has at least one isotope with unstable nuclei that can undergo radioactive decay. This can result in a transmutation that changes the number of protons or neutrons in a nucleus. Electrons that are bound to atoms possess a set of stable energy levels, or orbitals, and can undergo transitions between them by absorbing or emitting photons that match the energy differences between the levels. The electrons determine the chemical properties of an element, and strongly influence an atom's magnetic properties.
Everything, from the computer you are on, to the fingers you are typing with, is made of atoms. These tiny particles combine, transform, and bond to create the world around us. Atoms, in turn, are made of electrons, protons and neutrons, in various combinations. The basic Bohr's Model shows their relationship.
[edit] Electrons
Electrons are tiny, subatomic particles that are 'negatively' charged. Their mass is insignificant compared to that of protons and neutrons, so, for most purposes, it is ignored.
[edit] Protons
Protons are small, subatomic particles that are 'positively' charged. Their mass is not ignored in calculations of atomic mass (also known as atomic weight), but is given a value of 1 Atomic Mass Unit, or amu (also known as a dalton).
[edit] Neutrons
A neutron is a particle that has no charge.
