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Questions and Answers
What is the smallest particle of matter that can exist on its own?
What is the smallest particle of matter that can exist on its own?
Atom
How many atoms would fit into the space taken up by the full stop at the end of a sentence?
How many atoms would fit into the space taken up by the full stop at the end of a sentence?
A few billion atoms
What is an element?
What is an element?
A substance made up of atoms of the same kind
Can atoms of the same element be differentiated from one another?
Can atoms of the same element be differentiated from one another?
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Can an element be broken down into two or more substances by chemical means?
Can an element be broken down into two or more substances by chemical means?
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Study Notes
Fundamental Particles of Matter
- The smallest particle of matter that can exist independently is known as an atom.
- Atoms are the building blocks of all matter and cannot be divided without losing their chemical identity.
Scale of Atoms
- Approximately 1 million atoms could fit within the space of a full stop (period) at the end of a sentence.
- This illustrates the minuscule size of atoms compared to everyday objects.
Understanding Elements
- An element is a pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom.
- Elements are listed in the periodic table and are distinguished by their atomic number, which represents the number of protons.
Differentiating Atoms of the Same Element
- Atoms of the same element may vary in the number of neutrons, leading to different isotopes.
- Despite these isotopic differences, all atoms of a given element share the same chemical properties.
Chemical Composition of Elements
- An element cannot be broken down into two or more substances by chemical means.
- This characteristic defines the element as a fundamental substance in chemistry.
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Description
Explore the fundamentals of chemistry with a focus on atoms and elements. Learn about the characteristics of atoms, their size, and how they combine to form different substances.
