Chemistry (/chemistry/) > Atoms and Molecules (/chemistry/atoms-and-molecules/)

Atoms and Molecules

What is an Atom? (Atom Definition)

Atoms are defined as “the basic building blocks of matter”.

Atom is the basic of all matter. They are very small and consist of even tinier particles. Neutrons,
Protons, and Electrons are the basic particles making up the atom. They join together with other
atoms and create matter. It takes many atoms to create anything.

It is the smallest constituent unit of matter that possess the properties of the chemical
element. Atoms don’t exist independently, instead, they form ions and molecules which further
combine in large numbers to form matter that we see, feel and touch.

What is a Molecule? (Molecule Definition)

A group of two or more atoms is linked together by sharing electrons in a chemical

bond.

A molecule is a collection of two or more atoms that are securely bound together by attractive
forces or by chemical bonds. The term “atom” refers to the tiniest unit of matter that can be
separated. The term “valency” refers to an element’s capacity for combination.

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Atoms and Molecules Definition

Recommended Videos

Atom Definition Chemistry

What is the Size of an Atom?

Relative Sizes

What are Atoms made of?

What is Atomic Mass?

Salient features of Dalton’s Atomic Theory

What is a Molecule?

Examples of Molecules

Forces between Atoms and Molecules

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Atoms and Molecules Definition

Atoms are much too small to be seen; hence experiments to find out their structure and
behavior have to be conducted with large numbers of them. From the results of these
experiments, we may attempt to construct a hypothetical model of an atom that behaves like
the true atom.

Molecules consist of one or more atoms bound together by covalent (chemical) bonds. Atoms
may be depicted by circle shapes, each of which has a nucleus at the center (containing
protons and neutrons), surrounded by one or more concentric circles representing the ‘shells’
or ‘levels’ in which the electrons surrounding the nucleus of the atom are located and markings
indicating the electron.at each level. A molecule is the smallest thing a substance can be
divided into while remaining the same substance. It is made up of two or more atoms that are
bound together by chemical bonding.

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Atom Definition Chemistry

The smallest particle of an element, which may or may not have an independent existence but
always takes place in a chemical reaction is called an atom. An atom is defined as the smallest
unit that retains the properties of an element. An atom is composed of sub-atomic particles
and these cannot be made or destroyed. All atoms of the same element are identical and
different elements have different types of atoms. Chemical reactions occur when atoms are
rearranged.

Atoms consist of three fundamental types of particles, protons, electrons and neutrons.
Neutrons and protons have approximately the same mass and in contrast to this the mass of
an electron is negligible. A proton carries a positive charge, a neutron has no charge and an
electron is negatively charged. An atom contains equal numbers of protons
(https://byjus.com/chemistry/protons/) and electrons and therefore overall an atom has no
charge. The nucleus of an atom contains protons and neutrons only, and therefore is positively
charged. The electrons occupy the region of space around the nucleus. Therefore, most of the
mass is concentrated within the nucleus.

The center of the atom is called the nucleus. The nucleus contains neutrons and protons that
give an atom its weight and positive charges. A neutron carries no charge and has a mass of
one unit. A proton carries a single positive charge and also has a mass of one unit, The atomic
number of an element is equal to the number of protons or positive charges in the nucleus. The
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neutrons in the nucleus. An electron carries a single negative charge. If an atom of an element
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is to have zero charge, it must have the same number of electrons as protons. These electrons
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are arranged in orbits around the nucleus of the atom like the layers of an anion.
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What is the Size of an Atom?
The size of an atom is extremely small, much smaller than our imagination. A layer of an atom
as thick as a thin sheet of paper is formed when more than millions of atoms are stacked
together. It is impossible to measure the size of an isolated atom because it’s difficult to locate
the positions of electrons surrounding the nucleus.

However, the size of an atom can be estimated by assuming that the distance between
adjacent atoms is equal to half the radius of an atom (https://byjus.com/chemistry/atomic-
radius-in-periodic-table-in-basic-chemistry/). Atomic radius is generally measured in
nanometres.

\(\begin{array}{l}1 m = 10^{9}nm\end{array} \)

Relative Sizes

Examples Radii (m)

Atom of Hydrogen \(\begin{array}{l}10^{-10}m\end{array} \)

Molecule of water \(\begin{array}{l}10^{-9}m\end{array} \)

Molecule of hemoglobin \(\begin{array}{l}10^{-8}m\end{array} \)

Grain of Sand \(\begin{array}{l}10^{-4}m\end{array} \)

What are Atoms made of?

An atom is composed of three particles, namely, neutrons, protons and electrons with
hydrogen as an exception without neutrons.

Every atom has a nucleus that bounds one or more electrons around it.

The nucleus has typically a similar number of protons and neutrons which are together
known as nucleons.

The protons are positively charged, electrons are negatively charged and neutrons are
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neutral.
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What is Atomic Mass?
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It is the mass of an atom in a chemical element. It is roughly equivalent to the total neutrons
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and protons (https://byjus.com/chemistry/proton-neutron-discovery/) present in the atom. It
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is expressed in atomic mass units (denoted by u). 1amu is equal to the exactly one-twelfth of
the mass of 1 atom of C-12 and the relative atomic masses of elements is determined with
respect to-12 atom.

Atomic masses of Some Elements

Elements Atomic Mass (u)

Hydrogen 1

Carbon 12

Nitrogen 14

Oxygen 16

Sodium 23

Magnesium 24

Sulfur 32

Chlorine 35.5

Calcium 40

Salient features of Dalton’s Atomic Theory

The matter is composed of minute particles known as atoms.

Atoms are indivisible particles that can’t be destroyed or created through chemical
reactions (https://byjus.com/chemistry/chemical-reactions/).

All atoms of an element have identical chemical properties and mass whereas, atoms of
different elements have different chemical properties and masses.

Atoms combine in a ratio of small whole numbers to form compounds.

The matter is anything and everything in our surrounding. It has basic structural and
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fundamental units. Let us examine the concept of matter with an example. Taking a storybook
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into consideration and dividing its structure. The book contains many pages, each page
consists of paragraphs, and each paragraph has many sentences.

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Each sentence will further have many words and each word will have characters. Therefore we
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have divided a storybook into characters. This is exactly the same case when we take the
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matter into account. The matter is made up of substances which contain molecules. The
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molecules, in turn, are made up of groups of atoms.

Atoms in simple terms are defined as the smallest unit of matter. In ancient times scientists
wondered whether the matter could be further divided or not. Around 500 BC the idea of
divisibility of matter evolved in India. A scientist named Maharishi Kanad stated that matter
can be divided into smaller and smaller units. The smallest unit of matter after which further
division was not possible was known as parmanu.

What is a Molecule?

Molecule Definition

A molecule is defined as the smallest unit of a compound that contains the chemical
properties of the compound.

Molecules are made up of groups of atoms. Describing the structure of an atom, an atom is
also sub-divided into smaller units. Protons, electrons, and neutrons are sub-particles of an
atom. The protons and neutrons are contained inside the nucleus of the atom and electrons
revolve around the nucleus.

Protons are positively charged particles whereas electrons are negatively charged particles.
Neutrons do not carry any charge. So we can say that the nucleus is positively charged due to
the presence of protons. The nucleus is a bulk mass at the centre of an atom. Atoms are largely
vacant.

Every element has a certain atomic number. The atomic number of an element is defined as
the number of protons present in its nucleus. It is denoted by Z.

When we talk about the mass of atoms, the mass of their particles is taken into consideration.
Electrons have negligible mass. Hence the mass of an atom is the sum of the mass of protons
and neutrons. The mass number is denoted by A.

A molecule is the smallest unit (particle) of a compound having the physical and chemical
properties of that compound. This does not mean that molecules can not be broken down into
smaller parts, e.g. the atoms from which they are formed or the fragments of the molecule,
each consisting of several atoms or parts of atoms.

A molecule is defined as the smallest unit of a compound that contains the chemical
properties of the compound. Molecules are made up of groups of atoms. Describing the
Watch
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into smaller units. Proton, electrons, and neutrons are sub-particles of an atom. The protons

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and neutrons are contained inside the nucleus of the atom and electrons revolve around the
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nucleus.
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Examples of Molecules
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A molecule is a collection of two or more atoms that make up the smallest recognisable unit
into which a pure material may be split while maintaining its makeup and chemical
characteristics. Some examples of molecules are

H2O (water)

N2 (nitrogen)

O3 (ozone)

CaO (calcium oxide)

C6H12O6 (glucose, a type of sugar)

NaCl (table salt)

Forces between Atoms and Molecules

The simplest forces between atoms are those which arise as a result of electron transfer. A
simple example is that of say sodium fluoride. The sodium atom has a nuclear charge of +11,
with 2 electrons in the K shell, 8 in the L shell and 1 in the M shell. The fluorine atom has a nuclear
charge of 9 with 2 electrons in the K shell and 7 in the L shell.

The outermost electron in the sodium atom may transfer readily to the fluorine atom; both
atoms then have a complete shell but the sodium now has a net charge of +1 and the fluorine a
net charge of -1. These ions, therefore, attract one another by direct coulombic interaction. The
force between them is strong it varies as x-2, where x is the distance between the ions, and it
acts in the direction of the line joining the ions.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Q1 How do atoms become molecules?

As atoms come together to form molecules, chemical bonds bind them together. As a
consequence of sharing or exchanging electrons between the atoms, these bonds form. It
is only the electrons that are ever active in bonding in the outermost shell.

Q2 What is a simple molecule?

Water is known to be a basic molecule consisting of a few atoms. Basic molecular

substances are molecules in which strong covalent bonds bind the atoms. Nevertheless,
Watch
weak this bind
forces videothe
to molecules
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Q3 Is ozone a molecule?
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Ozone is a molecule made up of three atoms of oxygen. The chemical ozone symbol is O3
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as the oxygen atom symbol is O. Most of the ozone present in our atmosphere is produced
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by a sun-emitted association of oxygen molecules with ultraviolet radiation.

Q4 Can a molecule have one atom?

An electrically neutral group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds is the
most basic definition of molecule. In that sense, no, by nature, a molecule can not be
formed from a single atom.

Q5 What is the structure of an atom?

Atoms are composed of three elementary particles: protons, electrons , and neutrons. The
atom’s nucleus (center) contains the protons (positively charged) and neutrons (without
charge). The atom’s outermost regions are called electron shells, which contain (negative
charged) electrons.

Q6 Is Salt a molecule?

Molecules are subject to molecular bonds. Something like table salt ( NaCl) is a compound
because it is made of more than one type of element (sodium and chlorine), but it is not a
molecule because it is an ionic bond that holds NaCl together. We can say sodium chloride
is an ionic compound.

Q7 What is Atom and example?

Many atoms consist of a positively charged nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons
surrounded by a cloud of electrons charged negatively. An atom is any particle of matter
at its most basic level which contains at least one proton. Here are some examples of the
atoms: hydrogen (H) and neon (Ne).

Q8 What is the work of an atom?

The protons and neutrons are packed together into the center of the atom (which is called
the nucleus) and the much smaller electrons, whizzing around the outside. When people
draw images of atoms they show the electrons like satellites spinning in orbits around the
Earth.

Q9 What is the difference between atoms and molecules?

A tiny particle of a chemical element is called an atom, which may or may not exist
independently. Molecules refer to the group of atoms that the bond binds together,
representing the smallest unit in a compound. Two or more identical or distinct atoms are
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Q10 Is oxygen a molecule?
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Oxygen is a molecule made up of two atoms of oxygen bound by a covalent double bond
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to form dioxygen or O2
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We have briefly seen the properties of atoms and molecules. Stay tuned with BYJU’S for more
information on Atoms and Molecules.

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Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs.

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Select the correct answer and click on the “Finish” button

Check your score and answers at the end of the quiz

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Aman Yadav
July 15, 2020 at 7:35 pm
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It’s really very good way for study

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on Adnan
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August 11, 2020 at 8:02 pm
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Sir please explain me sublimation process
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Mentor
August 12, 2020 at 10:20 am
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Sublimation is the conversion between the solid and the gaseous phases of matter,
with no intermediate liquid stage. For those of us interested in the water cycle,
sublimation is most often used to describe the process of snow and ice changing
into water vapour in the air without first melting into water.
Click here to learn more about Sublimation
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TGMAIL
January 3, 2021 at 3:11 pm
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What is the structure of an atom?

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Mentor
January 4, 2021 at 9:59 am
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Three fundamental particles are composed of atoms: protons, electrons, and

neutrons. Protons (positively charged) and neutrons are in the nucleus (centre) of
the atom (no charge). Electron shells are considered the outermost regions of the
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atom which contain electrons (negatively charged).
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RITHICK
February 28, 2021 at 9:12 pm
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Sir, what are elements?

Reply
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Mentor
March 1, 2021 at 10:10 am
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An element is a substance that cannot be broken down into any other substance. In
chemistry, an element is a pure substance consisting only of atoms that all have the
same numbers of protons in their atomic nuclei.

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a rai
March 2, 2021 at 6:25 pm
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why do they take c12 to find mass of other atoms in earlier days

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Atomic mass is based on a relative scale and the mass of 12C (carbon twelve) is
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defined as 12amu; so, this is an exact number. Each carbon atom has the same
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number of protons and electrons, 6. 12C has 6 neutrons, 13C has 7 neutrons, and 14C
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has 8 neutrons and so on. So, we must specify which C atom defines the scale.

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banuja
July 24, 2021 at 11:43 pm
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how C6H12O6 is a molecule?. it consists of different elements. then, how it is a molecule

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Mentor
July 26, 2021 at 10:20 am
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Sugar is a glucose molecule which consists of 6 carbon atoms bonded together as a

chain with additional atoms of oxygen and hydrogen.

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Kaushik singh
September 2, 2021 at 12:14 am
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how H20 is a molecule but NaCl is a compound??

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Mentor
September 2, 2021 at 11:13 am
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Because it has molecular bonds, water is a molecule. Water is a compound because
it is made up of several different elements (oxygen and hydrogen). Water can be
considered a molecular substance.
Table salt (NaCl) is a compound since it contains two different elements (sodium
and chlorine), but it is not a molecule because the bond that binds it together is an
ionic bond. It’s possible to classify sodium chloride as an ionic substance.

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Sayeedur Rahman
December 13, 2021 at 7:07 pm
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Sir, what is an Atom?

Please reply??? 😢
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Mentor
December 14, 2021 at 11:10 am
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Atom, smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of
electrically charged particles. It also is the smallest unit of matter that has the
characteristic properties of a chemical element. As such, the atom is the basic
building block of chemistry. Click here to learn more about Atoms
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Kishor
November 4, 2022 at 7:14 am
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What is sub shell? Sir

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Mentor
November 4, 2022 at 4:41 pm
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A subshell is a subdivision of electron shells separated by electron orbitals. Subshells

are labelled s, p, d, and f in an electron configuration.

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Kishor
November 4, 2022 at 7:16 am
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What is valency

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November 4, 2022 at 4:42 pm
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Valency is the combining power of an element. Elements in the same group of the
periodic table have the same valency. The valency of an element is related to how
many electrons are in the outer shell.
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