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Matter and Atoms
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What are elements?
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What are molecules?
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You matter!
When we talk about matter, we are talking about... stuff.
Officially, Matter is anything that takes up space. An object may have a lot of matter in it... or just a little matter.
You are made of matter. So is this device you are using. So is the air you are breathing right now.
So how do you know if something is made of matter?
What if it is just energy? Energy is the ability to do work. Pure energy is NOT matter, because it doesn't really take up space.
Is it just made of light? Not matter.
Is it made of sound? Not matter.
Officially, Matter is anything that takes up space. An object may have a lot of matter in it... or just a little matter.
You are made of matter. So is this device you are using. So is the air you are breathing right now.
So how do you know if something is made of matter?
- Can you hold it? Totally matter.
- Can you put it in a container, like a box or a balloon? Matter.
- If you put a lot of it together, will it take up more space? Probably matter.
What if it is just energy? Energy is the ability to do work. Pure energy is NOT matter, because it doesn't really take up space.
Is it just made of light? Not matter.
Is it made of sound? Not matter.
So what is matter made of?
Take a coin out of your pocket. Look at it. No, look closer. Closer... Keep going...
As you look closer, you can see more and more detail. But there comes a point where your eyes can't detect such small things. Then, people start using tools to look closer. When magnifying glasses aren't enough, some turn to microscopes.
Eventually, you will get down to the level of the ATOM. Atoms are some of the smallest units of matter.
(Matter is anything that takes up space. All solids, liquids, and gasses are matter, because they take up space. Things like sound or light are just energy. Energy doesn't take up space, so sound and light aren't matter.) The only problem with atoms?? They are so small, you can't really see them. For thousands of years, we didn't even know if they were real or not! |
Let's look at it in a different way...
While you watch, pay attention to:
...How they describe matter. ...how they describe atoms. ...what atoms are made of. |
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So how small are they?
I don't think you quite get it. Atoms are some of the smallest things we know of. Check out this video to get an idea of exactly how small they are compared to normal, visible things. While you watch this, ask yourself... ...how small are atoms? ...do they exist alone or do they join up with other atoms? ...to understand atoms, what did we have to know about waves? ...what did we learn about the shapes of atoms once we figured out how to see them? |
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ElementsLook at these two atoms.
Both of these atoms have the same parts (electrons, protons, neutrons). Helium atoms, however, only have two of each, while Carbon has six!
We say that this makes them two different elements. Scientists look at the protons to see what element an atom is. |
Arranging the Universe: The Periodic Table
If you know what element an atom is, you know a lot about the atom.
Click on the periodic table below for a great interactive version! |
Think about Lego. You know, those little plastic building blocks that you can use to make just about anything?
Each Lego is like an atom. There's only a limited number of shapes and colors, but you can use them to create just about anything. (Think back to how "element" describes what kind of atom it is. Because this one is a red 2x4 brick, it's a different element than, say, a yellow 2x2 brick. You may need a lot of different elements to make what you are trying to make!) |
Grab some gray ones...
A few tiny green ones. Some darker grey ones. If you stick them all together, you may be able to create something new... like this elephant! If the Lego represent different atoms, then this cute little guy represents a molecule. A molecule is a bunch of atoms that are bound together to create something new. |
But what if I want to make something different?
Okay. Take apart your elephant molecule. Now add a bunch more gray atoms. Maybe a few blue. A few of those rare atoms, too. Behold! You have created a new molecule! Notice that this molecule uses some of the same elements (element = type of atom) as the elephant, only it used more of them and combined them in new and different ways. |
Atom vs. Element vs. Molecule
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Now here's a more complex example. Glucose is a sugar that plants make (we'll learn more about it later this year.) Let's look at the number of atoms and molecules here.
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Atoms, Elements, and MoleculesNow let's picture it in a different way. As you watch this video, think about this...
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What does it look like in real life?
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