Matter is what scientists call all the stuff around us. Matter may come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes, but all matter can be “broken down” into smaller parts – all the way to the atomic level. At its core, matter is just a bunch of different atoms that have gotten together in an organized fashion. Atoms are the core building blocks of everything around us.
Atoms are super tiny, so small that they can only be seen with a special kind of microscope. Atoms have a center, called a nucleus, which contains parts called protons and neutrons, and they have things called electrons that float around the outside of the nucleus, sort of like how the moon “floats” around the Earth. Every atom has some “invisible space” that exists between the nucleus and the electrons.
Think of a bin filled with loose LEGO. Each individual piece represents an atom. When you put two or more atoms together, you create a molecule. Different molecules have different shapes and sizes. When you put multiple molecules together, you get a compound. Compounds can be combined to make anything, just like LEGO bricks, but regardless of what you build, the invisible space still exists at the atomic level.
Even though we can’t see the invisible space, we can still prove that it exists using everyday objects.
The Experiment
Supplies: A 1 cup measuring cup, a measuring cup that is at least 2 cups, water, and rubbing alcohol.
What to do: Measure EXACTLY 1 cup of water very carefully and pour it into the large measuring cup. Measure EXACTLY 1 cup of rubbing alcohol and pour the rubbing alcohol into the large measuring cup. Check the amount of liquid in your large measuring cup. Is it 2 cups of liquid?
What is happening: Water molecules consist of a single oxygen atom combined with two hydrogen atoms. Rubbing alcohol molecules have three carbon atoms, seven hydrogen atoms, and a single oxygen atom. The shape of the rubbing alcohol molecules allows them to “slide” in-between the water molecules and fill the invisible spaces. This is one case where 1 + 1 does NOT equal 2!
Links
To learn more about atoms, check out Rader’s Chem4Kids website.