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2.1 Elements and Atoms: the Building Blocks of Matter

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Discuss the relationships between matter, mass, elements, compounds, atoms, and subatomic particles
  • Distinguish between atomic number and mass number
  • Identify the key distinction between isotopes of the same element
  • Explain how electrons occupy electron shells and their contribution to an atom’s relative stability

The substance of the universe—from a grain of sand to a star—is called matter. Scientists define matter as anything that occupies space and has mass. An object’s mass and its weight are related concepts, but not quite the same. An object’s mass is the amount of matter contained in the object, and the object’s mass is the same whether that object is on Earth or in the zero-gravity environment of outer space. An object’s weight, on the other hand, is its mass as affected by the pull of gravity. Where gravity strongly pulls on an object’s mass its weight is greater than it is where gravity is less strong. An object of a certain mass weighs less on the moon, for example, than it does on Earth because the gravity of the moon is less than that of Earth. In other words, weight is variable, and is influenced by gravity. A piece of cheese that weighs a pound on Earth weighs only a few ounces on the moon.

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Anatomy and Physiology Copyright © 1999-2016 by Rice University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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