Definition of: atom (1) (Atom) Intel x86 chips. See Intel Atom.
(2) (Atom) A Web feed. See Atom syndication format.
(3) A single element. See atomic.
(4) A fundamental building block of matter. Atoms are microscopic solar systems that are made up of particles and mostly space. Within that space, electrons create an outer shell by circling a nucleus containing protons and neutrons of similar mass. Neutrons have no electrical charge, but protons have a positive charge. Since there are the same number of electrons as there are protons, and since electrons have a negative charge, the atom has a net charge of zero. See electron.

Since the days of ancient Greece, the atom was considered "the" smallest element of matter and indivisible, which is what "atomic" means. However, in the 1960s, we discovered that the nucleus was made up of more particles, which were named quarks and leptons. Perhaps some day, we will find those particles made up of even more particles in our never ending quest to discover what we are really made of.

Does It Really Matter?
World-renowned scientist and Nobel Prize winner Max Planck once made a remarkable comment about the structure of matter that has been widely quoted ever since...


