What is Matter?
What is the scientific definition of matter?
Anything that takes up space and has mass.
What are the three main subatomic particles that make up an atom?
Protons, neutrons, and electrons.
What is the name of the organized chart that displays all of the currently known elements?
The periodic table of elements.
What is formed when two or more atoms combine together?
A molecule.
Approximately how many different elements are currently known to science?
118 elements.
What do we call the tiny, fundamental particles that make up all matter?
Atoms.
Which two subatomic particles are found clustered together in the center, or nucleus, of an atom?
Protons and neutrons.
Instead of writing out full names every time, what shorthand system of one or two letters do scientists use to represent elements?
Chemical symbols.
What special term describes molecules that are made of two or more different elements combined together?
A compound.
Why do scientists find it helpful to use models when studying atoms?
Models are useful tools to help visualize and teach things we cannot see directly, though they can change as new discoveries are made.
If you divide a pure substance like gold down until it cannot be divided anymore while still remaining gold, what single tiny piece do you have?
An atom.
Which subatomic particle has a negative electrical charge and moves rapidly around the outside of the nucleus?
An electron.
What are the three main groups that elements on the periodic table are broadly organized into?
Metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.
What method do scientists use to write out the types and numbers of atoms in a molecule using symbols and numbers?
A chemical formula.
Since scientific models of the atom can change over time as new information is learned, how should scientists view the accuracy of these models?
They should view them as helpful tools rather than absolute, unchanging truths.
Substances that are made of only one kind of atom are known by what term?
Elements.
What specific term describes the central region of an atom where most of its mass is concentrated?
The nucleus.
When reading across a period (row) on the periodic table, do the atomic numbers increase or decrease?
They increase.
Is an oxygen molecule made of two oxygen atoms (O2) considered a compound? Why or why not?
No, because it is not made of different elements.
From a biblical worldview, how should we view the marvelous design found in atoms and elements across the earth?
We can view them as part of God's marvelous creation, and we can rely on God's unchanging Word as ultimately trustworthy while studying His physical world.
When scientists create a simplified representation of reality—such as a drawing or description of an atom since no one has seen one directly—what is this tool called?
A scientific model.
How does an atom's atomic number relate to the subatomic particles found inside it?
The atomic number equals the exact number of protons found in that atom's nucleus.
What is the chemical symbol for gold?
Au
In the chemical formula for water (H2O), what do the letters and the number 2 tell us about its structure?
The letters show it is made of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O), and the number 2 shows there are two hydrogen atoms for every one oxygen atom
How can learning about the properties of different elements help us practice good stewardship of the earth?
It helps us use resources wisely, safely, and helpfully to care for others and the world God created.