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subtillioN
The fundamental unit of matter is the universe itself.
"Multiplication through division"
-- Buckminster Fuller
"Multiplication through division"
-- Buckminster Fuller
The fundamental unit of matter is an atom. It is the smallest unit of any element that retains the chemical properties of that element.
An atom is made of three subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus of the atom, while electrons orbit around the nucleus.
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom determines the element it belongs to. For example, all carbon atoms have 6 protons, while all oxygen atoms have 8 protons. Therefore, the number of protons is what makes atoms of different elements different from each other.
Atoms are incredibly small, with a diameter of about 1 x 10^-10 meters. This means that about 100 million atoms could fit on the head of a pin.
No, atoms cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are too small to be observed even with the most powerful microscopes. However, scientists have been able to indirectly observe atoms using advanced imaging techniques.