Structure of Matter

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Matter Noun

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[mat-er]

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Matter

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Anything that takes up space by having volume and also has mass, existing in various states like solid or liquid.

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Example: These gold bars are a solid form of matter, which means they are physical things that have mass and take up space.

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Volume Noun

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[vol-yoom]

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Volume

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The amount of three-dimensional space that a substance or object occupies or that is enclosed within a container.

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Example: This image shows a rectangular prism with its length, width, and height labeled, which are the three dimensions needed to calculate its volume.

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Mass Noun

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[mas]

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Mass

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A measure of the amount of matter contained within a physical body, which is independent of its weight.

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Example: This image explains mass (m) as part of Newton's Second Law, showing it relates the force (F) on an object to its acceleration (a).

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Pure Substance Noun

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[pyoor sub-stans]

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Pure Substance

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A single substance, either an element or a compound, with a definite chemical composition and distinct set of properties.

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Example: These bars of fine gold are a pure substance because they are made almost entirely of one type of element: gold (Au).

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Element Noun

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[el-uh-muhnt]

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Element

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A pure substance consisting of only one type of atom, which is distinguished by its unique atomic number.

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Example: This Bohr model shows a single atom of the element Sodium, illustrating that an element is a pure substance made of only one type of atom.

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Compound Noun

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[kom-pound]

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Compound

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A pure substance formed when two or more different chemical elements are chemically bonded together in a fixed ratio.

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Example: This image shows a molecule of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a compound made of one carbon atom chemically bonded to two oxygen atoms.

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Atom Noun

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[at-uhm]

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Atom

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The smallest particle of a chemical element that retains the properties of that element; the basic building block of matter.

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Example: This diagram shows the parts of an atom: a central nucleus with protons and neutrons, and electrons orbiting the nucleus in shells.

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Subatomic Particles Noun

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[sub-uh-tom-ik par-ti-kuhls]

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Subatomic Particles

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The constituent particles that make up an atom, which primarily include protons, neutrons, and electrons in its structure.

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Example: This diagram shows an atom's three subatomic particles: protons and neutrons in the central nucleus, and electrons orbiting the nucleus in shells.

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Nucleus Noun

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[noo-klee-uhs]

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Nucleus

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The dense, positively charged central region of an atom that contains the protons and neutrons, comprising most of its mass.

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Example: This diagram shows a cutaway view of the cell's nucleus, labeling its key parts like the nucleolus, chromatin, and the protective nuclear envelope.

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Proton Noun

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[proh-ton]

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Proton

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A stable subatomic particle with a positive electric charge, found within the nucleus of every atom.

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Example: This image identifies a proton as one of the particles (in red) located in the central nucleus of an atom.