
Atom | Definition, Structure, History, Examples, Diagram, & Facts ...
Mar 19, 2025 · 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.
Bohr Model, Electron Shells & Atomic Structure - Britannica
Mar 10, 2025 · atomic radius, half the distance between the nuclei of identical neighbouring atoms in the solid form of an element. An atom has no rigid spherical boundary, but it may be thought of as a tiny, dense positive nucleus surrounded by a diffuse negative cloud of electrons.
Subatomic particle | Definition, Examples, & Classes | Britannica
Feb 14, 2025 · The distance across an atomic nucleus of average size is roughly 10 −14 metre—only 1/10,000 the diameter of the atom. The nucleus, in turn, is made up of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons, collectively referred to as nucleons, and a single nucleon has a diameter of about 10 −15 metre—that is, about 1/10 that ...
Atom - Bohr's Shell Model | Britannica
Mar 19, 2025 · As Bohr had noticed, the radius of the n = 1 orbit is approximately the same size as an atom. With his model, Bohr explained how electrons could jump from one orbit to another only by emitting or absorbing energy in fixed quanta.
Atom - Development, Theory, Structure | Britannica
Mar 19, 2025 · Differences in atomic shape and size determined the various properties of matter. In Democritus’s philosophy, atoms existed not only for matter but also for such qualities as perception and the human soul.
Atom - Electrons, Orbitals, Energy | Britannica
Mar 19, 2025 · Bohr atom The electron travels in circular orbits around the nucleus. The orbits have quantized sizes and energies. Energy is emitted from the atom when the electron jumps from one orbit to another closer to the nucleus.
Gas - Molecular, Sizes, Properties | Britannica
Mar 25, 2025 · Gas - Molecular, Sizes, Properties: Molecular sizes can be estimated from the foregoing information on the intermolecular separation, speed, mean free path, and collision rate of gas molecules.
Atomic model | Definition, History, Development, Examples,
Atomic model, in physics, a model used to describe the structure and makeup of an atom. Atomic models have gone through many changes over time, evolving as necessary to fit experimental data. For a more in-depth discussion of the history of …
Albert Einstein's theory of Brownian motion | Britannica
Learn about Albert Einstein's theory of Brownian motion and how he derived the size of atoms based on how much the Brownian particles move
Angstrom (Å) | Definition, Uses, & Facts | Britannica
The angstrom is also used to measure such quantities as atomic and molecular sizes (most elements have atoms with radii of about 1 to 2 Å) and the thickness of films on liquids.