What is an ATOM?� An atom is THE most basic form of matter present anywhere that you

look(through an electron microscope). They are surrounded by these minuscule particle’s known as electrons. Like the cells of any living thing an Atom also has a nucleus, which is made up of protons and neutrons. The electrons that surround it are always negatively charged and the protons that are inside of the nucleus are positively charged. However the neutrons that are also present within the nucleus of an atom are ‘neutral’ hence the term neutron, which means that they have no charge.

Why Call it an ‘atom’??An ‘atom’ is called an ‘atom’ because it comes from the Greek term

“atomos” which also means that this specific thing unlike anything else cannot be divided or broken down to anything less than what it already is. Or is ‘undividable’ . The whole idea of the atom being this invisible undivideable form of matter was first thought of by the Greek philosophers.

Examples of different atoms� Each and every chemical substance contains atoms everything from

your eyeballs to the Television in your front room contains atoms.

� An example of a hydrogen atom: a hydrogen atom contains no neutrons and only has one proton and one electron

� Potassium atom: A potassium atom contains 20 neutrons and 19 protons. It also has more ‘shells’ of electrons than the hydrogen atom a potassium atom has 19 electrons surrounding it.

Why do they have shells??� All atoms have shells of electrons which ‘orbit’ the nucleus of the

atom. The amount of electrons that an atom has corresponds to the number of protons that are present inside the nucleus.