Atom – Cosma

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A way to remember their size is this: if an apple is magnified to the size of the earth, then the atoms in the apple are approximately the size of the original apple. — Richard Feynman, The Feynman Lectures on Physics

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Introduction¹

MooMooMath and Science (YouTube Channel)
MooMooMath and Science (Official Website)

Dictionary

atom : the smallest particle of an element that can exist either alone or in combination — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Thesaurus

Roget’s II (Thesaurus.com), Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Visuwords

Encyclopedia

Atom is the smallest constituent unit of ordinary matter that has the properties of a chemical element. Every solid, liquid, gas, and plasma is composed of neutral or ionized atoms. Atoms are extremely small; typical sizes are around 100 picometers (a ten-billionth of a meter, in the short scale).

Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and typically a similar number of neutrons. Protons and neutrons are called nucleons. More than 99.94% of an atom’s mass is in the nucleus. The protons have a positive electric charge, the electrons have a negative electric charge, and the neutrons have no electric charge. If the number of protons and electrons are equal, that atom is electrically neutral. If an atom has more or fewer electrons than protons, then it has an overall negative or positive charge, respectively, and it is called an ion. — Wikipedia

Atoms (Eric Weisstein’s World of Physics, Wolfram Research)
Atom (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Search

Atom (WolframAlpha)
Step by Step Chemistry (Wolfram Alpha)

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Inspiration

Virtual Field Trips (Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World)

Talks about Atoms (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)
Articles about Atoms (Big Think)

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Innovation

Science

Atomic Physics is the field of physics that studies atoms as an isolated system of electrons and an atomic nucleus. It is primarily concerned with the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus and the processes by which these arrangements change.

The term atomic physics can be associated with nuclear power and nuclear weapons, due to the synonymous use of atomic and nuclear in standard English. Physicists distinguish between atomic physics — which deals with the atom as a system consisting of a nucleus and electrons — and nuclear physics, which considers atomic nuclei alone. — Wikipedia

Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions. Other forms of nuclear matter are also studied. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the atom as a whole, including its electrons. — Wikipedia

Scientists Perform World’s Smallest MRI on Single Atoms (Brooks Hays, UPI)
World’s Smallest MRI Performed on Single Atoms (Institute for Basic Science, Phys.org)

Nuclear Physics (Wolfram Alpha)

Technology

Nuclear engineering is concerned with the application of breaking down atomic nuclei (fission) or of combining atomic nuclei (fusion), or with the application of other sub-atomic processes based on the principles of nuclear physics. In the sub-field of nuclear fission, it includes the design, interaction, and maintenance of systems and components like reactors and power plants. The field also includes the study of medical and other applications of radiation, particularly Ionizing radiation, nuclear safety,nuclear fuel, or other related technology (e.g., radioactive waste disposal). — Wikipedia

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear power plants. Nuclear decay processes are used in niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators in some space probes such as Voyager 2. Generating electricity from fusion power remains the focus of international research. — Wikipedia

Nuclear Power (Wolfram Alpha)

Commerce

Entrepreneurship

Atom Campaigns (Kickstarter)

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Preservation

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Participation

Education

Physics (Free Animated Education, YouTube Playlist)
Free Animated Education (Facebook)

What are Atoms? (Science Kids)

Nuclear Science (Contemporary Physics Project)

Atoms Cafe (PlayMada Games)

Atoms Around Us (Chem4Kids)
Nuclear Physics (Physics4Kids)

Atomic Structure (ChemMatters, American Chemical Society)
Nuclear Chemistry (ChemMatters, American Chemical Society)

Nuclear Science 101 (American Nuclear Society)
About Nuclear (American Nuclear Society)

Nuclear Engineering (American Society for Engineering Education)

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Course

Nuclear Physics (Crash Course Physics)

General Chemistry I: Atoms, Molecules, and Bonding (MITx)

Chemistry Department Courses (MIT OpenCourseWare)
Chemistry Courses (edX)

Nuclear Science and Engineering Department (MIT OpenCourseWare)
Nuclear Sciences & Engineering (Course 22, MITx)

Nuclear Physics Courses (MIT OpenCourseWare)
Nuclear Engineering Courses (MIT OpenCourseWare)
Nuclear Materials Courses (MIT OpenCourseWare)

Nuclear Physics Courses (edX)

Community

Occupation

CareerOneStop, YouTube Channel (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
CareerOneStop, Official Website (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)

Nuclear Engineers (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor)
Nuclear Engineers (US Occupational Outlook Handbook)

Explore Careers (Navigating Nuclear: Energizing Our World)
Nuclear Chemistry Careers (American Chemical Society)

Organization

American Nuclear Society

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

News

Atomic Physics (JSTOR)
Atomic Physics (arXiv.org e-Print Archive)

Nuclear News (American Nuclear Society)
Publications (American Nuclear Society)

Nuclear chemistry (Nature)
Nuclear Energy (Phys.org)
Atomic & Nuclear (Scientific American)
Nuclear Energy (NPR Archives)

Government

International Atomic Energy Agency

Office of Nuclear Energy (US Energy Department)
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Expression

Fun

SnuggliePuppy (YouTube Channel)
Paige the Border Collie (Facebook Page)

Humor

Fusion (Tim Hunkin, The Rudiments of Wisdom Encyclopedia)
Radiation (Tim Hunkin, The Rudiments of Wisdom Encyclopedia)
Plutonium (Tim Hunkin, The Rudiments of Wisdom Encyclopedia)

Hobby

The Man Who Hunts Hidden Radioactive Objects (Chris Baraniuk, BBC Future)

Poem

Each atom absorbs unique light,
Leaving lines that are black as the night.
This absorption occurs
At the bits it prefers,
So the rest of the spectrum stays bright. — DenmarK, absorption spectrum

OEDILF: The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form

Recent News from Phys.org …

AI automates the creation of custom functional...
on September 2, 2026 at 6:40 pm
Imagine a construction site where the bricks are individual molecules and the "cranes" are microscopic needles so sharp they can feel a single atom. For decades, building at this scale was a laborious, time-consuming task where a single human error could damage the delicate tools.
Scientists observe Einstein's gravity in the...
on September 2, 2026 at 6:00 pm
An international team including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Professor Sir Roger Penrose has observed a long-predicted effect of gravity on a falling quantum object for the first time. The result shows that a fundamental principle at the heart of Einstein's theory of gravity remains consistent with the behavior of matter in the quantum world. The study, led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the University of Ulm and the University of Oxford, was published today (Sept. 2) in Science […]
New nanostructure makes non-linear light...
on September 2, 2026 at 5:40 pm
Researchers from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), Harvard and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) have developed an innovative method for coupling light non-linearly. This opens up new possibilities for telecommunications and quantum technology.
Sorry, this neutrino laser won't work, physicists...
on September 2, 2026 at 5:20 pm
Neutrinos are pervasive yet intangible particles that permeate the universe, streaming through whole planets, stars and our bodies by the trillions each second. The elementary particles are often described as "ghostly" for their near-zero mass and elusive nature, as they have very little interaction with normal matter.
Hawai'i high school students name image of...
on September 2, 2026 at 2:12 pm
Nā ʻUhane Māhoe Huki Pū i ke Ola is the Hawaiian name given to NGC 7253—a pair of spiral galaxies caught in each other's gravity. Captured by the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea in Hawai'i, the image created a spectacular symbolic display for this year's interns participating in Project Hōkūlani.

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Related

Here are links to pages about closely related subjects.

Knowledge Realm

Physical

“Fundamentals”
Law (Constant) Relativity
Force Gravity, Electromagnetism (Light, Color)
Matter (Microscope) Molecule, Atom (Periodic Table), Particle

“Space”
Universe (Astronomical Instrument)
Galaxy Milky Way, Andromeda
Planetary System Star, Brown Dwarf, Planet, Moon

Our Neighborhood
Solar System Sun
Terrestrial Planet Mercury, Venus, Earth (Moon), Mars
Asteroid Belt Ceres, Vesta
Jovian Planet Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Trans-Neptunian Object
Kuiper Belt Pluto, Haumea, Makemake
Scattered Disc Eris, Sedna, Planet X
Oort Cloud Etc. Scholz’s Star
Small Body Comet, Centaur, Asteroid

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Notes

1. The resources on this page are are organized by a classification scheme developed exclusively for Cosma.