ATOMIC STRUCTURE

Ancient Greek philosopher Democritus proposed that repeatedly cutting an object in half would eventually result in particles which could not be further divided. He called these elementary particles atomos.

Since then, we’ve discovered that atoms consist of positively charged nuclei and negatively charged electrons.

Elements are sorted into periodic groups and react predictably following periodic trends. Atoms react to form molecules and we track reactions using stoichiometry.

Before you tackle the chemical reactions and biological processes that follow, make sure you’ve mastered the humble atom - inside and out.