Many centuries ago, people realized that any substance on the earth consists of microscopic particles. Some time passed and scientists proved that these particles do exist. They were called atoms. Usually atoms can not exist separately and are grouped together. These groups are called molecules. The very name "molecule" comes from the Latin word moles, meaning gravity, a lump, a huge, and a diminutive suffix - cula. Previously, instead of this term used the word "corpuscle", literally meaning "a small body." In order to find out what a molecule is, let's look at explanatory dictionaries. Ushakov's dictionary says that it is the smallest particle that can exist autonomously and possesses all the properties of the substance to which it relates. Molecules and atoms surround us everywhere, and although they can not be felt, all that we see is, in fact, their gigantic accumulations.
Example with water
The best way to explain what a molecule is, you can use a glass with water. If you pour half of it out, the taste, color and composition of the remaining water will not change. It would be strange to expect something else. If you pour half again, the amount will decrease, but the properties will again remain the same. Continuing in the same spirit, we eventually get a small droplet. It can still be divided by a pipette, but this process will not continue indefinitely. In the final analysis, the smallest particle will be obtained, the remainder of which will not be separated by water. In order to imagine what a molecule is and how small it is, try to guess how many molecules are in one drop of water. What do you think? Billion? One hundred billion? In fact, there are about a hundred sextillons there. It is a number that has twenty-three zeros after a unit. This amount is difficult to imagine, so let's use a comparison: the size of one molecule of water is smaller than a large apple in as many times as the apple itself is smaller than the earth. Therefore, it can not be seen even in the most powerful optical microscope.
The structure of molecules and atoms
As we already know, all microscopic particles in turn consist of atoms. Depending on their number, the orbits of the central atoms and the type of bonds, the geometric shape of the molecules can be different. For example, human DNA is twisted in the form of a spiral, and the smallest particle of ordinary table salt has the form of a crystal lattice. If a molecule somehow takes away several atoms, its destruction will occur. At the same time, the latter will not go anywhere, but will become part of another microparticle.
After we figured out what a molecule is, let's move on to the atom. Its structure is very similar to the planetary system: in the center is a nucleus with neutrons and positively charged protons, and around in different orbits, electrons rotate. In general, the atom is electrically neutral. In other words, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons.
We hope our article has proved useful, and now you no longer have questions about what a molecule and atom are, how they are arranged and how they differ.