diff --git a/Electronics/Physics_of_electricity/Matter_and_atoms.md b/Electronics/Physics_of_electricity/Matter_and_atoms.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a71f206 --- /dev/null +++ b/Electronics/Physics_of_electricity/Matter_and_atoms.md @@ -0,0 +1,24 @@ +--- +categories: + - Electronics +tags: [physics] +--- + +# Matter and atoms + +- Matter is any substance that has weight. It can take the form of a liquid, a solid, or a gas. +- Matter comprises **elements** and **compounds** + +## Atoms and molecules + +An element is any matter that cannot be divided further by chemical means. Elements are made up of atoms. Elements can join together to form compounds. A molecule is a type of compound where the atoms of two types of elements have joined together to form a more complex type of matter. The parts of a molecule, in contrast to elements, can be separated by chemical means. For example Sodium and Chlorine are two elements that can join to form Sodium Chloride. We call this **chemical bonding**. We can use chemistry to separate the Sodium and Chlorine atoms in the molecule to return to two separate elements. + +Compounds can be confusing. In general a compound is any matter that contains more than one kind of element. By this definition a molecule is always a compound. However not every compound is a molecule as we can have complex compounds that contain more than one type of molecule. For example water is hydrogen and oxygen forming a molecule. It contains more than one element therefore it is a compound. But imagine if we had water and carbon combined. This would still be a compound but not a molecule since it would contain a molecule and a carbon element. + +## Atomic particles + +There are three particles comprising atoms: protons, neutrons and electrons. + +Protons and neutrons comprise the nucleous of the atom. A proton is positively charged. A neutron has no charge. + +Electrons orbit around the nucleous in concentric rings. Electrons are negatively. Because of this protons and electrons attract each other.