NATS 1840 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Mass Number, Electromagnetism, Atomic Number
Document Summary
Matter exists in chemical forms as elements and compounds. Matter is anything that has mass (the amount of material in an object), and takes up space. Matter is found in two chemical forms: Elements: the distinctive building blocks of matter that make up every material substance. Elements can not be further broken down by chemical means. Compounds: two or more different elements held together in fixed proportions by attractive forces called chemical bonds. Atoms, ions, and molecules are the building blocks of matter. Atoms: the smallest unit of matter that exhibits the characteristics of an element. Molecule: a combination of two or more atoms of the same or different elements held. Ions: an electrically charged atom or combination of atoms together by chemical bonds. Each atom has a tiny nucleus containing protons and in most cases neutrons, and one or more electrons whizzing around somewhere outside the nucleus.