Matter is made up of atoms and molecules from "summary" of NCERT Chemistry Class 11 - [CBSE Board] by Dr. S. C. Rastogi, ,Er. Meera Goyal
The fundamental concept in chemistry is that matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms and molecules. These particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but they make up everything around us, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. Atoms are the building blocks of matter. They are extremely small, with a diameter of about 0.1 nanometers. Atoms are made up of even smaller particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative charge. The protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus of the atom, while the electrons orbit around the nucleus. Molecules, on the other hand, are made up of two or more atoms that are chemically bonded together. These bonds can be very strong, like in the case of covalent bonds, or relatively weak, like in the case of hydrogen bonds. Molecules can be as simple as a two-atom molecule like hydrogen gas (H2) or as complex as a protein molecule with thousands of atoms. The concept that matter is made up of atoms and molecules is crucial to understanding the behavior of substances in the physical world. For example, the properties of a substance, such as its color, odor, and melting point, are determined by the types of atoms and molecules it contains and how they are arranged. Chemical reactions, which involve the breaking and forming of bonds between atoms and molecules, also rely on this concept. In summary, atoms and molecules are the building blocks of matter. Understanding their structure and properties is essential for understanding the world around us and the chemical processes that govern it. This concept forms the basis of all of chemistry and is fundamental to our understanding of the physical world.
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