What’s in an atom?
Mostly nothing. The vast majority of an atom is empty space.
To get it into perspective, imagine an atom the size of an international sports stadium. The
electrons are right up at the top of the stands, each smaller than a pin-head. The nucleus of the atom is
on the centre spot of the pitch, and is about the size of a pea.
For many centuries, atoms, which were entirely theoretical, were thought to be the smallest
possible units of matter, hence the word, which means ‘not-cut’ in Greek.
Then, in 1897, the electron was discovered, followed in 1911 by the nucleus.
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 November 2013
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