Chapter 1 : MATTER

Everything around us- air, water, sand, stone, wood, plants, animals, humans- scientists call them all matter.

When we analyze the structure of matter, we see that all matter is made essentially of about a hundred pure substances called elements in different combinations. Some elements do not combine with others and stay in pure form. But in most cases, two or more elements combine to form different substances. These combined substances are called compounds.

For example, the water we drink is a compound of two elements- hydrogen and oxygen. Our common table salt is nothing but a compound of the elements sodium and chlorine. But beware, sugar is a little more complicated - it has carbon in addition to hydrogen and oxygen! Many substances around us, especially the things that make up plant and animal matter, are far more complicated.

But the fact remains- complicated or simple, all matter is made up of elements. Each element is unique- it has its own special qualities. When you break up these elements into smaller and smaller pieces, you will finally get a tiny speck called an atom. Atom is the limit- you cannot break up the atom of an element and expect to see that element’s special qualities continued.

For a long time scientists believed that it is not possible to break up an atom. However some great scientists like J.J. Thomson, Goldstein and Chadwick later discovered that atoms are made up of three particles called Protons, Neutrons and Electrons. These particles are today called sub-atomic particles.