Think about a clear, fresh glass of water. What is the water made of? The answer is atoms and molecules. A single glass of water contains millions and millions of them. Each one is too small to see by itself. You can't see them, but there are many millions of tiny atoms and molecules in this glass of water. All things are made of these tiny bits, or particles. Atoms are like tiny bal…
So if everything is made of atoms, what exactly is an atom? What is it like, and what is it made of? Atoms may be small, but they are made up of parts that are even smaller. At the center is the nucleus. The nucleus is made of protons and neutrons. Atoms also have other parts called electrons. The electrons whirl around the nucleus very quickly. The main parts of an atom. There are many di…
An element is a material that contains just one type of atom. There are about one hundred different types of atoms altogether. So there are about one hundred elements. Lots of materials that you know are elements. For example, silver is an element. It is made of silver atoms. We use silver to make jewelry, silverware, and other things. A pair of silver rings. A silver atom has forty-se…
Atoms join together to form molecules. Materials are made of molecules. In an element, the same types of atoms join together to make molecules. Oxygen is an element. An oxygen molecule is made of two oxygen atoms that are joined together. Oxygen molecule. Water is made of two different types of atoms—oxygen and hydrogen. They join together to make water molecules. Each water molecule…
Atoms join together to make molecules. This joining is known as bonding. But how do atoms bond together? And why? An atom has electrons zooming around inside of it. The electrons are found in layers, or shells (see page 11). Atoms like to have a full number of electrons in their outer shell. For example, an oxygen atom has six electrons in its outer shell, but that shell can hold eight. So the ox…
Matter is all the stuff around us that is made from atoms and molecules. There are millions and millions of different types of matter. They are known as materials. Since humans first existed, we have been using materials to make our lives easier. The earliest people made tools and machines from stone. This was the Stone Age. After that came the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, when humans learned to …
The science of matter is more important then ever. New materials will help scientists create amazing new technology. We may also discover much more about how matter works. The space elevator could look like this. Carbon buckyballs and nanotubes (see page 27) can be used in nanotechnology—building tiny machines. These machines could be used to do repairs inside the body or clean up p…
atoms (AT uhms) — tiny particles that make up materials bonding (BON ding) — when atoms join together to make a molecule chemical (KEM uh kuhl) — a substance made up of atoms or molecules chemical formula (KEM uh kuhl FOR myuh luh) — a code used to stand for an atom or molecule chemical reaction (KEM uh kuhl ree AK shuhn) — when atoms move around and rearrange t…
Atoms and Molecules. Louise and Richard Spilsbury. Heinemann, 2007. Looking at Atoms and Molecules. Library of Physical Science (series). Suzanne Slade. Rosen Publishing Group's PowerKids Press, 2007. Touch It!: Materials, Matter and You. Primary Physical Science (series). Adrienne Mason. Kids Can Press, 2005. What Are Atoms? Lisa Trumbauer. Children's Press, 2005. www.miamisci.org…