What Makes Up an Atom?

Atoms are the building blocks of a matter. The term atom is derived from a Greek word "atom" meaning indivisible. Atoms combine together to form molecules, which in turn form the objects. The atoms are held together by a strong force known as chemical bonds and there are three main types of chemical bonds.

What makes up an Atom

An atom is made of particles such as protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons and neutrons cluster together to form the nucleus (central mass) of the atom while the electrons orbit the nucleus much like planets around a sun. It is these particles that determine the stability of the atom.

Protons carry a positive electrical charge and electrons carry the negative electrical charge, while neutrons carry no electrical charge. A specific atom would have the same number of protons and electrons. The number of neutrons is equal to the number of protons of an atom.

An atom is not easily divisible. However, it can be split into two fragments using a nuclear reaction process called fission. Fission is the technique and theory used to make an atomic bomb. It is also studied as a branch of chemistry.