Heat

Solids, liquids and gases: atomic structure

Substances such as copper, iron, oxygen and argon which cannot be broken down into any simpler substances are called elements; there are at the present time over 100 known elements. A substance which can be broken down into two or more elements is known as a compound.

An atom is the smallest particle of an element which can take part in a chemical reaction. It consists of a number of negatively charged particles termed electrons surrounding a massive positively charged centre termed the nucleus. Since like electric charges repel and unlike charges attract, the electrons experience an attraction due to the positive charge on the nucleus. Chemical compounds are composed of atoms, the nature of the compound depending upon the number, nature and arrangement of the atoms.

A molecule is the smallest part of a substance which can exist in the free state and yet exhibit all the properties of the substance. Molecules of elements such as copper, iron and aluminium contain only one atom and are monatomic. Molecules of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen contain two atoms and are diatomic. A molecule of a compound such as carbon dioxide contains three atoms and complicated compounds contain many atoms.

An atom is made up of three elementary particles: (1) protons, (2) electrons, (3) neutrons.

The proton is a positively charged particle and its charge is equal and opposite to the charge on an electron.