Home Forum Dictionary Articles Tutorials Books Directory Share your work


Edit page | Page history | Printable version

Dictionary » A » Atom

Atom

Definition

noun, plural:atoms

(physics, chemistry)

(1) The smallest unit of matter indivisible by chemical means.

(2) The fundamental building block of a chemical element.

(3) The smallest possible unit of an element that still has all the chemical properties of that element.


Supplement

An atom is consisting of a nucleus surrounded by one or more shells of electrons.


Word origin: from the Greek átomos, which means uncuttable, something that cannot be divided further.
Related forms: atomic (adjective).

Related terms:


Please contribute to this project, if you have more information about this term feel free to edit this page



Results from our forum


membrane permeability

... ions are of the same magnitude, then I would expect the ions to move across the membrane at pretty much the same rate (even though K is a bigger atom than Na). The only thing different is that Na+ would be going in, while K+ would be going out, till the concentration of each ion was the same ...

See entire post
by kolean
Wed Jul 22, 2009 2:33 am
 
Forum: Molecular Biology
Topic: membrane permeability
Replies: 2
Views: 207

Biology is not a science

We don't know exactly what an atom or a quark is either - does that mean physics and chemistry aren't science? physicts not know what matter is or what charge is etc science as a concept itself is just an ideological notion anyway scientists ...

See entire post
by gamila
Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:01 pm
 
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Biology is not a science
Replies: 44
Views: 1358

Biology is not a science

We don't know exactly what an atom or a quark is either - does that mean physics and chemistry aren't science? Nobody has witnessed firsthand the subsurface forces that account for all of our rocks except extrusive volcanics and sediments. ...

See entire post
by AstusAleator
Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:45 pm
 
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Biology is not a science
Replies: 44
Views: 1358

My First Post.

... from someone like me. Without common sense the most brilliant manifestations of science will fall into the wrong hands and create weapons like the Atom bomb, for instance; or the fetal research that was being done that led to legalizing abortions. Often gifted scientists are sequestered in different ...

See entire post
by iamwill
Thu Jun 04, 2009 9:09 pm
 
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: My First Post.
Replies: 0
Views: 134

Re: Any SOLID arguments against evolution?

I'm going to assume you don't know what "valency" means, because hydrogen does not have a lot of valency! It can only bond to one other atom. Thats why I said the last 4 have more valency--I did not include hydrogen. It might comfort you to know that I do my homework (lol). I can read ...

See entire post
by AFJ
Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:41 am
 
Forum: Evolution
Topic: Any SOLID arguments against evolution?
Replies: 106
Views: 16654
View all matching forum results

This page was last modified 22:39, 27 November 2008. This page has been accessed 11,387 times. 
What links here | Related changes | Permanent link