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Questions and Answers
What is the fundamental building block of matter?
What was a major challenge for scientists at the end of the 19th century?
What was one of the first indications that atoms are not indivisible?
What is the focus of Chapter 4?
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What do atoms and molecules constitute?
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Study Notes
Atom
- The fundamental building block of matter is the atom.
- Atoms are the smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element.
Physics at the End of the 19th Century
- At the end of the 19th century, physicists believed they understood most of the fundamental laws of physics.
- A major challenge for scientists at the time was explaining the behavior of light.
- Scientists were puzzled because some experiments indicated that light behaved like a wave, while others indicated that it behaved like a particle.
Discovery of Subatomic Particles
- One of the first indications that atoms are not indivisible came from the discovery of subatomic particles.
- Experiments by J.J. Thomson in 1897 demonstrated the existence of electrons, negatively charged particles within atoms. This discovery challenged the prevailing view that atoms were indivisible.
Understanding Atoms and Molecules
- Chapter 4 focuses on understanding atoms and molecules.
- Atoms and molecules constitute all matter.
- The properties of matter are determined by the structure of atoms and molecules.
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Description
Test your knowledge about the structure of atoms with this quiz. Explore the differences between atoms of different elements and the concept of indivisibility proposed by Dalton.
