Understanding Atoms and Atomic Theory

Study Notes

Atoms are the smallest unit of matter that has all the properties of any element. They consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive charge while neutrons do not carry any electrical charge. Electrons orbit around the nucleus which contains both the proton and neutron. There is one electron orbiting each atom with its own specific energy level, called an orbital. Each atomic number corresponds to a certain amount of electrons in its shells, and these numbers can increase as you move away from hydrogen.

Atoms combine together by sharing their outermost valence electron(s) between them forming chemical bonds. This results in different elements taking on unique characteristics such as melting point, boiling point, density, hardness, reactivity, color, odor, taste, and so forth. Atomic theory helps us understand how atoms bond together, what they look like, and how they behave when combined with other elements.

Each type of atom is identified by a symbol made up of two letters representing the first two letters of its name followed by a numerical value indicating the position of its element in the periodic table. For example, Hydrogen's symbol is H, Helium is He, Oxygen is O, Nitrogen is N etc..

The study of atoms began with John Dalton who proposed his atomic theory over 200 years ago. With further discovery and experimentation we now know that there are currently 118 naturally occurring elements, many more synthetically created ones thanks to nuclear reactions. It was also determined early on that every single thing in existence comes from just four basic types of atoms - oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen. These small particles continue to play a critical role in understanding everything from chemistry to biology to physics.

Description

Learn about the basic structure of atoms, the role of protons, neutrons, and electrons, and how atoms combine to form elements through chemical bonds. Explore the history of atomic theory from John Dalton's proposals to modern discoveries about naturally occurring and synthetic elements.