CHM 120 Lecture 4: Atoms and Elements- CHP. 4 THE PEOPLE
Document Summary
The atom is the smallest identifiable unit of an element. Atoms are the basic building block of nature. Atoms are responsible for the sensation of smell, touch, taste. A substance that cannot be broken down in any way. Greek philosopher expressed the belief that matter is composed of tiny, indivisible particles. If you divide matter into smaller and samller pieces, you would eventually end up with tiny, indestructible particles called atoms. Electrons are much smaller and lighter than atoms. To maintain electrically neautral, there are the same amount of protons and electrons (+ and -) There are as many electrons outside the nucleus as there are protons inside. Most of the atoms mass and all its positive charges are contained in the nucleolus. Most the volume of the atom is empty space occupied by tiny , negatively charged electrons. this was discovered by the gold foil experiment.
