Atoms and Molecules
Learn about the building blocks of our world - atoms and molecules
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The building blocks of our world: atoms and molecules
Imagine you have a huge pile of Lego bricks. With those bricks you can build anything you can think of: a house, a car, a spaceship! Atoms are a bit like those Lego bricks, only much, much smaller. They are the basic building blocks of everything around us – from the air we breathe, to the water we drink, all the way to you yourself!
The word "atom" comes from Greek and means "indivisible". People once thought atoms were the smallest particles that exist and could not be split any further. Today we know that atoms are themselves made of even smaller parts: a nucleus with protons and neutrons, with electrons circling around it.
When atoms join together, they form molecules. Water, for example, is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, which together form the molecule H₂O. Below you can explore atoms yourself, build molecules and try out some experiments!
How is an atom built?
An atom is made up of a nucleus and a shell. The nucleus holds the positively charged protons and the neutral neutrons. Around the nucleus, the negatively charged electrons whizz about. Imagine the nucleus as a tiny pea in the middle of a huge football stadium – the stadium would then be the atom’s shell, where the electrons race around!
Entdecke das Atom!
Klicke auf die Teile des Atoms, um mehr zu erfahren.
Wähle ein Teilchen aus, um seine Beschreibung anzuzeigen.
From atoms to molecules
Atoms rarely stay on their own. They love to join up with other atoms to form molecules. A water molecule (H₂O), for example, is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Try building a few molecules yourself!
Molekül-Baukasten
Aufgabe: Baue Wasser (H₂O)!
Klicke auf die Atome, um sie hinzuzufügen, und prüfe dann dein Molekül.
Dein aktuelles Molekül:
Noch keine Atome hinzugefügt.
Experiments all about atoms
Even though atoms are tiny, we can see their effects and use them for some cool experiments. Give it a try!
Spannende Atom-Experimente zum Entdecken!
Wähle ein Experiment aus, um mehr darüber zu erfahren.
Wähle ein Experiment aus der Liste oben.
Spannende Atoms and Molecules Experimente
Hier sind einige einfache Experimente, die du zu Hause ausprobieren kannst
Molecule model made of modelling clay
Schwierigkeit: Easy
Du brauchst:
- Modelling clay in different colours
- Toothpicks or thin wooden sticks
So geht's:
- Shape small balls of clay in different colours (each colour stands for a different element)
- Connect the balls with toothpicks to build molecules
- Try to build a water molecule (H₂O): two small balls (hydrogen) connected to one larger ball (oxygen)
Erklärung:
With this model you can picture how atoms join together into molecules. The toothpicks represent the chemical bonds.