Can some one explain atoms to me?
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ATOM..basic building block\n \n[Gr.,=uncuttable (indivisible)], basic unit of matter; more properly, the smallest unit of a chemical element having the properties of that element.  That is the definition.  Continue to read further; it really gives great detail!!!!!\n\nStructure of the Atom\n\nThe atom consists of a central, positively charged core, the nucleus, and negatively charged particles called electrons that are found in orbits around the nucleus.\n\nThe Nucleus\n\nAlmost the entire mass of the atom is concentrated in the nucleus, which occupies only a tiny fraction of the atom's volume. The nucleus of an atom consists of neutrons and protons, the neutron being an uncharged particle and the proton a positively charged one. Their masses are almost equal. Atoms containing the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons represent different forms, or isotopes, of the same element.\n\nThe Electrons\n\nSurrounding the nucleus of an atom are its electrons; for a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the atomic number. The outermost electrons of an atom determine its chemical and electrical properties. An atom may combine chemically with another atom in various ways, either by giving up or receiving electrons, thus setting up an electrical attraction between the atoms (see ion), or by sharing one or more pairs of electrons (see chemical bond). Because metals have few outermost electrons and tend to give them up easily, they are good conductors of electricity or heat (see conduction).\n\nThe electrons are often described as revolving about the nucleus as the planets revolve about the sun. This picture, however, is misleading. The quantum theory has shown that all particles in motion also have certain wave properties. For a particle the size of an electron, these properties are of considerable importance. As a result the electrons in an atom cannot be pictured as localized in space, but rather should be viewed as smeared out over the entire orbit so that they form a cloud of charge. The electron clouds around the nucleus represent regions in which the electrons are most likely to be found. The shapes of these clouds can be very complex, in marked contrast to the simple elliptical orbits of planets. Surprisingly, the sizes of all atoms are comparable, in spite of the large differences in the number of electrons they contain.\n\nAtomic Weight and Number\n\nThe atomic number of an atom is simply the number of protons in its nucleus. The atomic weight of an atom is given in most cases by the mass number of the atom, equal to the total number of protons and neutrons combined. An atom may be conveniently symbolized by its chemical symbol with the atomic number and mass number written as subscript and superscript, respectively. For example, the symbol for uranium is U (atomic number 92); the isotopes of uranium with atomic weights 235 and 238 are indicated by 23592U and 23892U.\n\nDevelopment of Atomic Theory\n\nEarly Atomic Theory\n\nThe atomic theory, which holds that matter is composed of tiny, indivisible particles in constant motion, was proposed in the 5th cent. by the Greek philosophers Leucippus and Democritus and was adopted by the Roman Lucretius. However, Aristotle did not accept the theory, and it was ignored for many centuries. Interest in the atomic theory was revived during the 18th cent. following work on the nature and behavior of gases (see gas laws).\n\nFrom Dalton to the Periodic Table\n\nModern atomic theory begins with the work of John Dalton, published in 1808. He held that all the atoms of an element are of exactly the same size and weight (see atomic weight) and are in these two respects unlike the atoms of any other element. He stated that atoms of the elements unite chemically in simple numerical ratios to form compounds. The best evidence for his theory was the experimentally verified law of simple multiple proportions, which gives a relation between the weights of two elements th
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From elementary chemistry it is known that the atomic structure of any element is made up of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by electrons revolving around it. An element’s atomic number indicates the number of positively charged protons in the nucleus. The atomic weight of an atom indicates how many protons and neutrons in the nucleus. To determine the number of neutrons in an atom, the atomic number is simply subtracted from the atomic weight.\n\nAtoms like to have a balanced electrical charge. Therefore, they usually have negatively charged electrons surrounding the nucleus in numbers equal to the number of protons. It is also known that electrons are present with different energies and it is convenient to consider these electrons surrounding the nucleus in energy “shells.” For example, magnesium, with an atomic number of 12, has two electrons in the inner shell, eight in the second shell and two in the outer shell.\n\nAll chemical bonds involve electrons. Atoms will stay close together if they have a shared interest in one or more electrons. Atoms are at their most stable when they have no partially-filled electron shells. If an atom has only a few electrons in a shell, it will tend to lose them to empty the shell. These elements are metals. When metal atoms bond, a metallic bond occurs. When an atom has a nearly full electron shell, it will try to find electrons from another atom so that it can fill its outer shell. These elements are usually described as nonmetals. The bond between two nonmetal atoms is usually a covalent bond. Where metal and nonmetal atom come together an ionic bond occurs.\n\nhttp://www.tech.farmingdale.edu/depts/met/met205/atomicbonds.html\n\nhttp://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~acarpi/NSC/5-bonds.htm
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In scientific explanation\nThe basic particle of a matter is atom. Its also divisible but then the properties of that matter will not remain.\n\nThere can also be said every matter is from electron, protons and charge less neutrons. But then it will be devised into light.\n\nIf you look in the vacuum(absence of anything), it should be neither atom nor protons nor something...it should be "ZERO"(which is used to prove a decision "False" or absence of anything).\n\nSay "you have no answer".\nThat means you have zero answer.Think of it, keep trying and make another theory. :-D
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Chemistry explains at the atom/molecule/electron level how atoms interact.  For medicine, a good understanding of chemistry lets us know exactly how the medicine works.  This is useful to develop other medicines that work but are safer.
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actually, it's arranged by the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of each element, though the list in this song: http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html\nis not.
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Could you be a little more specific?  Are you asking how the atomic weights in the periodic table derived?
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Atoms are combinations of protons and neutrons with electrons flying around. They form the basic "elements" of matter.\n\nThe nucleus of an atom has protons and neutrons (except for hydrogen which has one proton). There are about the same number of protons and neutrons in each nucleus, although for larger nuclei (like uranium) there are more neutrons.\n\nAll of these particles have a variety of specific characteristics. For example an electron has a negative charge and a proton has a positive charge, while the neutron is neutral. The charge of the proton and electron are identical except for the sign.\n\nProtons and neutrons are both made of quarks. A proton has two "up" quarks and one "down" quark, while the neutron has two "down" quarks and one "up" quark. (The up and down are just names for these two types of quark, there is no physical significance to the name. They could have selected \nChocolate and Vanilla instead.)\n\nProtons and neutrons are almost always described as being composed of three quarks, but there are also gluons running around. Gluons are the particles which control the interaction of quarks within a proton or neutron. They carry the force that binds the three quarks together to form the larger particle.\n\nSo a proton or neutron has three quarks and a cloud of gluons.\n\n(Just as an aside: If one combines a proton and an electron and a neutrino you will get a neutron, but, in the oddness of quantum physics that doesn't mean a neutron is made of these little guys.)\n\nElectrons on the other hand seem to have no consituents, at least down to the level that has been probed with modern instruments.
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each type atoms have different no of proton that definize what atom is it.\ninteligent design. dont even thing about it\nlabs arround the world can make atoms from different atoms thru the process of nuclear fusion or fission. \n\nstability?? u mean in chemical compound, its because the atom bounding theory,  u will study it in chem\nif thats not what u r asking so I don no
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First you need to look up the element on a periodic table of elements.  I am sure you have one laying around somewhere =P\nAnyway, then look in the square that contains your element for a number either in the upper left corner or in some cases directly above it.  That is the number of protons in the atom.  Then you also know the number of electrons which is exactly the same as the number of protons.  To figure out neutrons, look for another number on in the square that isnt in the left corner or above the element.  This is the atomic mass.  Take the atomic mass and subtract the number of protons to get the number of neutrons
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Atom  \n\nThe smallest unit matter can be divided into whilst still retaining its chemical identity. Atoms are not single particles but complex arrangements of three types of particles. The subatomic particles, protons, neutrons and electrons, combine to form atoms. The protons and neutrons provide the bulk of an atom's mass and are concentrated into a tiny central region known as the atomic nucleus. The nucleus is held together by the strong nuclear force which acts between the constituent particles (termed nucleons ). The protons are positively charged and so mutually repel each other, but it is not until there are many of them that they overcome the nuclear force. Thus there is only one stable element beyond lead (Z=82). Whilst the radius of an atom is in the region of 10-10 metres, the atomic nucleus is about ten thousand times smaller at 10-14 metres. The volume surrounding the nucleus is where the electrons exist. They are much lighter than the protons and neutrons and carry a negative electrical charge. Being opposite in charge to the nucleus, the electrons are held in orbits around it by the force of electromagnetism. The electrons exist in electron orbitals around the nucleus. These orbitals are grouped into shells. Within each shell are energy levels which allow the electrons to exist in unique quantum states, depending upon their angular momentum (hence energy), in accordance with Pauli's exclusion principle . In a neutral atom the number of electrons equals the number of protons. When ionisation occurs, one or more electrons are provided with enough energy to escape the atom altogether. What remains is known as an ion because it is now positively charged and will behave in a different way chemically from neutral atom. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom (the atomic number , Z) defines which chemical element it is. There are just over 110 known chemical elements and these can be arranged in a classification sequence known as the periodic table. The number of neutrons in any given atomic nucleus can also vary. The total number of protons + neutrons is termed the atomic mass number (A). Most atoms have a prefered number of neutrons at which their nuclei are stable. Atoms with more or less neutrons than the stable configuration are known as isotopes and will often undergo radioactive decay. The simplest of all atoms is hydrogen and is a special case which has a nucleus of one solitary proton and a single electron in orbit around it. It is the only nuclide (species of nucleus) with no neutron. A stable isotope of hydrogen is called deuterium which has one neutron in its nucleus; tritium is an unstable (radioactive) isotope of hydrogen and has two neutrons. See also atomic absorption , atomic emission , atomic number , molecule .
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In scientific terms atoms are the smallest possible particle of a chemical element that retains its chemical properties. All atoms are made of the same basic elements, protons, neutrons and electrons , but each of the individual elements are made from different organizations of these materials. The basic structure of an atom is the nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons (except hydrogen which only has a proton), and the electrons which, to over simplify it, "orbit" the nucleus. Elements are defined however by the number of protons in the nucleus, carbon always has 6 protons in it's nucleus, oxygen always has 8.\n\nAtoms are found EVERYWHERE. Everything you are, the air you breath, the things you smell, are all made of atoms, as others have said, it is the basic building block of everything, literally nothing would exist without them.\n\nIsotopes, contrary to what was said above, are in fact atoms, just a special kind of atom. The have the same amount of protons in their nucleus, hence they stay the same kind of element, but the have a different number of neutrons. I said above that hydrogen doesn't have a neutron in it's nucleus, and a standard hydrogen atom doesn't, but an isotope of hydrogen does, it's called deuterium, and it has 1 proton and 1 neutron in it's nucleus.\n\nDon't feel bad if you don't get it still, it really takes a class in chemistry to really get a handle on what exactly it all means. Good luck.
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Obviously, an atom isn't the smallest particle since they are composed of sub-atomic particles.  An atom however is the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element.  Once you go beyond an atom of any element, the components no longer keep the properties of that element.
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Superb question because it gets into the basis of meaning.\n\nIn describing atoms, we use different "models".\n\nNo one model is always right or always wrong.\n\nSome models are useful for some tasks, others work better in different situations.\n\nThe atom is the classic example of the "Blind Men and the Elephant" -- the guy holding the tale thinks an elephant is a piece of rope, trunk guy thinks it is a snake, side guy thinks it is a wall etc.\n\nThe atom just IS. Depending on how we observe it, we can use different simulations, ideas or models to work with it.\n\nBest wishes and thanks for the cool question!
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atom is the smallest building unit of things every thing around us consists of atoms and atoms consists of electrons and protons and neutrons atom is the smallest thing\nmolecule consists of number of atoms like if i said the molecule of water consists of 1 atom of oxygen n 2 atoms of hydrogen\ncompound is a mixture of different molecules\nmatter is the general word
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In Greek atomic theory, the atom was considered the smallest, indivisible, particle of matter.\nThey view atoms as the basic building block of everything else, and all atoms were identical, different combinations of how they were put together determined the properties of the substance.\n\nOf course, we now know that atoms themselves are made up of smaller, sub-atomic, particles, which are then intern made up of even smaller particles.  Atoms are the smallest particles of a given element which will exibit the properties of that element.  Different elements, and thus different types of atoms, exist.  So the Greeks were not correct in that respect.
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First off, the electrons aren't located in the nucleus, only protons and neutrons.  The electrons orbit the nucleus.\n\nThe electrons in the outer shell of an atom determine it's chemical and physical properties because they determine what other elements or ions they can react with.  The relative availability of electrons in one element enables it to donate some to another element that requires them to have a full outer shell (sometimes known as the octet rule, since the first few rows on the periodic table all require eight electrons in the outer shell to be stable)  The larger the element, the more electrons (and protons and neutrons), and this gets into electrostatic attraction and repulsion in addition to electron affinity.  Electrons are also involved in crystal structure of metals and alloys, and again, how they allow crystal cells to form determines how hard or ductile a crystalline structure can be, how conductive it is to heat or electrical current, etc.\n\nOf course, the number of electrons orbiting the nucleus of an atom is only one factor affecting the physical and chemical properties.  The stability of the nucleus is another factor, which has to do with the number of protons and neutrons present as well.
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The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of protons the element has in the nucleus of one atom.\nThe number of protons in the nucleus determine what element it is.\n\nThe atomic mass of an element is equal to the sum of number of protons and the number of neutrons in the nucleus.  The electrons around the atom are neglected since their mass is negligible, as well as the fact that atoms can form ions by gaining and/or loosing electrons even though the element is the same.