@holvek: An atom is the fundamental structural unit of matter, the smallest part of a chemical element that retains all its chemical properties. The name derives from the ancient Greek "atomos" (indivisible), but 20th-century physics has proven that the atom has a complex internal structure and is composed of even smaller (subatomic) particles. Almost all of an atom's mass (over 99.9%) is concentrated in its incredibly dense central nucleus, which consists of positively charged protons and neutral neutrons (collectively called nucleons), surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. In its natural state, an atom is electrically neutral, as the number of protons in the nucleus is exactly equal to the number of surrounding electrons; this number is called the atomic number and determines the element's place on the periodic table. The evolution of ideas about the atom has evolved from Thomson's simple mechanical "plum pudding" model and Rutherford's planetary model to the modern quantum-mechanical model formulated by Niels Bohr and Erwin Schrödinger. According to quantum theory, electrons do not revolve around the nucleus in precise circular orbits, like planets around the Sun, but rather exist as an "electron cloud" — regions of probabilistic locations called orbitals. Atoms are held together by the electromagnetic interaction between the nucleus and electrons, while the nucleus itself is prevented from disintegrating by the repulsion of like-charged protons by the strong nuclear force — the most powerful force in nature, acting at subnuclear distances. The separation of the nuclei of heavy atoms (fission) or the fusion of lighter ones (fusion) releases colossal amounts of energy, forming the basis of nuclear energy and stellar physics. When atoms undergo chemical reactions, they divide, combine, or exchange electrons, forming molecules and all the diversity of the material world around us. #atom #programming #it #quantumphysics

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Saturday 05 September 2026 17:20:11 GMT