Atoms

An atom is the smallest unit of ordinary matter that forms a chemical element. Atoms are
extremely small, typically around 100 picometers across. The term "atom" comes from the Greek
word for indivisible, because it was once thought that atoms were the smallest things in the
universe and could not be divided. We now know that every atom is composed of three major
subatomic particles including protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Protons and neutrons reside in the nucleus at the center of the atom. Thus, the nucleus is made of
one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has
no neutrons.

Electrons exist in a cloud orbiting the nucleus. The electron cloud has a radius 10,000 times
greater than the nucleus. Protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass. One proton is
about 1,835 times more massive than an electron. Thus, more than 99.94% of an atom's mass is
in the nucleus.

Three quarks make up each proton — two "up" quarks (each with a two-thirds positive charge)
and one "down" quark (with a one-third negative charge) — and they are held together by other
subatomic particles called gluons, which are massless. Thus, the proton has a positive electric
charge. Like protons, neutrons are also made of quarks — one "up" quark (with a positive 2/3
charge) and two "down" quarks (each with a negative one-third charge). Thus, the neutrons have
no electric charge.

The electrons have a negative electric charge. Thus, the electrons of an atom are attracted to the
protons in an atomic nucleus by the electromagnetic force. The protons and neutrons in the
nucleus are attracted to each other by the nuclear force. This force is usually stronger than the
electromagnetic force that repels the positively charged protons from one another.

Atoms always have an equal number of protons and electrons. If an atom has more or fewer
electrons than protons, then it has an overall negative or positive charge, respectively – such atoms
are called ions.

The number of protons in the nucleus is the atomic number. The number of protons in an atom is
unique to each element or it defines to which chemical element the atom belongs. For example,
any atom that contains 29 protons is copper. The number of protons also determines the chemical
behavior of the element.

Adding a proton to an atom makes a new element, while adding a neutron makes an isotope, or
heavier version, of that atom. Thus, the number of neutrons defines the isotope of the element.

Atoms can attach to one or more other atoms by chemical bonds to form chemical compounds
such as molecules or crystals. The ability of atoms to associate and dissociate is responsible for
most of the physical changes observed in nature.