Are you curious about Atoms? We will share 25 facts about Atoms in this post. Atoms are the basis of everything in the world. These particles have been puzzled humans for thousands of years, and scientists have studied them for many years.
We didn’t even have a clear understanding of Atoms or anything similar to the two centuries ago. We now know much more about it, and this post will explore some amazing atom facts.
Let’s move on to the next article.
1 What is an Atom?
Facts about Atoms
An atom is simply the smallest unit in any normal matter with the same properties. Nearly all matter is composed of atoms. Atoms are the basic building block of matter. Let’s simplify it. We will pretend that this is possible, but it isn’t practical. However, it is theoretically possible to assume it.
Let’s suppose you want to divide a piece of matter as easily as possible. You will eventually reach the point where you can’t divide the matter anymore. This is the moment you find the Atom of this particular matter. All matter eventually consists of trillions of trillions of individual Atoms.
Also, read 10 Amazing Facts About Space That You Don’t Know!
2 Origin of the Idea of Atom
Fun facts about Atoms
The Greek word “Atomos” gave rise to the word Atom. ‘Atomos’ means ‘Indivibisible’/’Uncuttable’. The idea of the Atom was first introduced by a Greek philosopher, Leucippus of Miletus, 2500 years ago.
His student, ‘Democritus,’ is considered the inventor of ‘Atomism. Atomism refers to the belief that atoms are the smallest units of any particle. He also stated that Atoms were infinite in number, not divisible and eternal, and uncreated.
3 Types Of Atoms
Fun facts about Atoms
Because Atoms are the smallest unit of any chemical element, there is a direct relationship between the number and types of atoms. There are currently 118 confirmed chemical elements. This means that 118 atoms, one for each chemical element, are known.
4 What are Atoms Made Of?
Fun facts about Atoms
Many scientists and philosophers believed that atoms were indivisible in the past. With scientific advances, we now know that even atoms can be divided. There are three types of particles when you split an atom. These are called the “Subatomic Particles.”
These three main subatomic particles are known as Electron, Proton, and Neutron. This means that atoms are composed primarily of three subatomic particles, Electron, Proton, and Neutron. Scientists also claim that there are more than 200 subatomic particles.
5 What are Subatomic Particles Made Of?
Facts about Atoms
Scientists believed it impossible to separate subatomic particles after discovering them. These subatomic particles were called the “Fundamental Particles.” After some time, however, it was discovered that even subatomic particles, i.e., Proton or Neutron, are divisible.
It is important to note that you cannot divide an electron. This will be discussed in a separate section below. When you split some subatomic particles, you’ll find the ‘Quarks. That means the ‘Quarks’ are the elementary/fundamental particles.
Also, read 15 Incredible Facts About Nasa
6 How Atoms Were Created
Facts about atoms & molecules
Since almost all matter in the Universe is composed of individual atoms, they must have been formed during the Big Bang. The Big Bang resulted in the creation of atoms around 13.7 billion years ago. The Universe was so hot during the Big Bang that it was not suitable to form atoms.
The Universe began to cool down over time. The Universe’s conditions were ideal for forming quarks (protons, neutrons, and electrons). With the combination of electrons and protons, atoms were formed.
7 Can You See/Observe Atom?
Facts about atoms & molecules
Simply put, you can’t see or perceive atoms with your naked eye. These tiny particles are extremely rare. It is difficult to see atoms using standard optical microscopes. Scientists from all over the globe have created a microscope that allows them to see individual atoms.
8 IBM with Their Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Facts about atoms & molecules
IBM researchers have created a new type of microscope called the Scanning Tunneling Microscope. This microscope is used to observe atoms. It was possible to see atoms for the first time with the help of this microscope.
In 1981, the ‘Scanning Tunneling Microscope was invented. This device’s inventor was awarded the Nobel Prize. There are many ‘Nanoscale Microscopes’ and ‘Electron Microscopes, with which it’s possible to see atoms.
9 The Structure of Atom
Facts about atoms & molecules
We have already stated that an atom comprises three basic subatomic particles, the electron, proton, and neutron. The core of an atom is where the proton and the neutron reside. The nucleus is the core of an atom.
Where do the electrons go now? The nucleus will not have electrons, but it is interesting. Instead, the electrons will be located at the electron shells around the nucleus.
Also, read 10 Amazing Computer Science Facts
10 Atoms Mostly Fill Space
Facts about atoms & molecules
This is something you might have heard before: An atom is an almost empty space. But how much of it is it? It is almost all of it. You know that the nucleus of an atom is composed of both protons and neutrons. The electrons can be found in the outer regions surrounding the nucleus.
There is a large gap between the nucleus (or the core) and the electrons in the outer region. That is the space within an atom. The space in a Hydrogen atom, for instance, is 99.9999999999996%. This means that the remaining 0.0000000000004% Hydrogen atom space is filled.
11 Confusion between Atoms and Molecules
Atom facts
Many people get confused between “Atoms” and “Molecules,” but they are two completely different things. A molecule is simply a grouping of atoms that combines or bonds together. Multiple atoms can be combined to create molecules.
12 Size of Atoms
Atom facts
It is well-known that atoms can be very small. How small is it? You will need trillions upon trillions of them to make anything. The size of an atom varies from one element to the next. The average Atom is about 0.3 Nanofeet across. It is so tiny that it will be difficult to imagine. Here’s an analogy.
Learn More: 25 Amazing Facts About Meteors #13 is Just Wow
If you’re 6 feet tall and an atom is approximately 0.3 Nanofeet in size, the Atom will be about 20 billion times smaller than you. Let this sink in for a second. The Earth’s approximate diameter is 12000 km. Now, consider that Earth is 6 million times larger than you if you’re 6 feet tall. It is obvious that atoms cannot be imagined as small.
13 The Largest and Smallest Atoms.
Atom facts
The hydrogen atom is the heaviest Atom by mass. Uranium, the most abundant element in nature, is the heaviest Atom. The smallest Atom by size is Helium. On the other hand, Francium has the largest radius of an atomic atom.
14 The Human Body and the 9 Atom
Atom facts
Yes, we are made up of atoms. Are you aware of the number of atoms in your body? An adult 70-kg person has about 7 billion billion billion atoms. This is 27 zeros after the number 7. You have heard it correctly. Our body also replaces approximately 98% of all atoms each year.
15 Electrons and Protons, Neutrons
Subatomic particles are what atoms are made up of. There are two types of subatomic particles: elementary and composite. The elementary particles can be separated by themselves. The composite particles are composed of smaller particles called ‘Quark.’
The electron is an elementary particle. It is a negatively charged particle. Protons, on the other hand, are subatomic particles positively charged. On the other hand, neutrons are subatomic particles that have an electrical charge. They are free from electric charges.
16 The Number of Atoms in Our Known Universe
It is possible that you already knew there would be an enormous amount of atoms in all of the Universe. How many Atoms is the Universe actually made? This question is not easy to answer. Researchers suggest approximately 1078 to 1082 different atoms in our observable Universe. Unfathomable.
17 – Splitting an Atom
The first-ever atom split in history was achieved by ‘John Cockcroft and ‘Ernest Walton. It happened in 1932. They divided the lithium nucleus into two helium nuclei. In 1938, two German scientists, ‘Otto Hahn and ‘Fritz Strassmann,’ also split the Uranium atoms into multiple pieces. This was the first time that an atom of heavy metal was split.
18 Neutron-less Elements
We know that an atom comprises three basic subatomic particles, electron, proton, and neutron. Hydrogen is an exception to this rule. Hydrogen, however, is the only Atom not to contain any neutrons. It contains a positively charged proton and a negatively charged element.
19 Atom and Chemical Elements
The definition of an atom is well-known. What about elements? These two are often mixed. You should know that elements are substances that only contain one type of Atom. There are 118 elements that have been confirmed, as previously stated.
Not all elements found in nature are natural. Twenty-four elements have been created. These elements are not found in nature. Instead, they have been created in laboratories under certain conditions.
Learn More: 25 Facts about IBM, Nobody, Knew Before
20 Most Abundant Chemical Elements In The Universe
After 380,000 years, the Universe had cooled enough to become a suitable place for the formation of atoms. Only then could the atoms begin to form new chemical elements.
According to reports, the first atoms formed were Hydrogen and Helium. Hydrogen remains the most abundant element within the Universe. Helium is the second most abundant element. The third most abundant element is Oxygen.
21 Most Abundant Elements on Earth
Hydrogen and Helium might be the most abundant elements in the Universe. The Earth is quite different. Oxygen is the most abundant element found on Earth. It makes up 46.6% of Earth’s total mass. Silicon, the 2nd most abundant element in Earth’s crust, is next.
22 The Father of Atomic Theory
Since ancient times, the idea that each object in the universe/world is composed of many tiny particles has been common. John Dalton was the one who introduced the concept of atoms to modern science.
He was an English chemist and physicist as well as a meteorologist. His atomic theory was the first to describe the structure and function of matter in terms of atoms. He is considered the father of modern nuclear theory.
23 How many Atoms are There on Earth?
Atoms are extremely small, as you know. You can fit around 1,000,000 carbon atoms in human hair.
We can now calculate the number of atoms on Earth by taking the average mass of an atom and the mass of Earth. We know that our planet has approximately 1050 atoms.
24 Atoms vs. #24 Atoms vs.
What is an Atom? Or, what is a cell? These terms are often confused. Cells are composed of billions to billions of molecules. You also know that molecules are composed of atoms.
However, atoms and cells are not living things. This means that atoms are much smaller than cells. According to some reports, there are approximately 100 trillion atoms per average-sized cell.
25 We are Stardust
99% of the body’s mass is composed of 6 elements: ‘oxygen, carbon, ’hydrogen, & ‘nitrogen, & ‘calcium, & ‘phosphorus. The remaining percentage is composed of sulfur, potassium, chlorine, and magnesium. You now know that all elements, including those we are made from, are actually made up of atoms.
These atoms were formed after the Big Bang. This means that we are made up of the same elements as the Big Bang but are still in space and stars. We can also say that stardust is the most common element that makes up our bodies.
Last Words and Amazing Facts About Atoms
Atom is the basic building block of matter. We know much about atoms at the moment. In the past, people could only think of the idea of atoms.
However, science and technology have made it possible to see atoms through our own eyes, thanks to their innovations. We hope you find this informative post useful. You could share the post with others if you liked it.
Did you enjoy this post on Atoms? We recommend that you also read our post on Black Holes. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and opinions below!
