The need for an atom

You may have heard of an Atom.

Can you make it in your copy?

If we want to understand elements, compunds and chemical reactivity, we first need to understand an Atom.

A fact about it is - An atom is the smallest particle of an element. We cannot see it with the naked eye. And usually they do not exist in their free state.

Take Hydrogen gas for instance. If we imagine that we have the smallest particle of gas, you will get two hydrogen atoms combined together.

When two or more atoms are combined together, we call it a molecule.

Why is it that under normal temperature and pressure, we find molecules of Hydrogen and Oxygen - not atoms?

Atoms do not combine only with atoms of their own element.

Take Salt for instance - if we take the smallest particle/unit of Salt, we will find an atom of Sodium and an atom of Chlorine combined in it.

If we talk of Water - the smallest particle of Water will have two atoms of Hydrogen combined with one atom of Oxygen.

The smallest particle/unit of Water and Salt will also be called a molecule. Since it has more than one atom combined in it.

There are several such examples which we will discuss later.

Looking at things from the point of view of Atoms, we have two major questions in front of us -

1.     Why cannot atoms of most of the elements exist independently? 

 

2.     When an atom combines with atoms of other elements, what is it able to achieve?

If we find answers to these questions, we can also get the information behind elements being chemically reactive and the idea and reason behind formation of compounds.

Moreover, we can also understand a very big secret of Nature.