Atom (Noun)
Meaning 1
(nontechnical usage) a tiny piece of anything.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
(physics and chemistry) the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The atom is the smallest unit of a chemical element that retains the properties of that element.
- Protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus of an atom, while electrons orbit around it.
- In an atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons, which determines the element's chemical properties.
- The atom of a particular element can gain or lose electrons to form ions, resulting in a change of its chemical properties.
- When two or more atoms share one or more pairs of electrons, they form a covalent bond, resulting in a molecule.