Fill in the blanks. 1. An atom is the smallest part of an element that takes part in a chemical reaction.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: An atom is the smallest part of an element that takes part in a chemical reaction.
Explanation:
An atom is the basic unit of matter and the fundamental building block of chemistry. It is the smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element. Atoms are composed of three subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons carry a positive charge and reside in the nucleus, neutrons are neutral and also located in the nucleus, while electrons are negatively charged and orbit the nucleus.
In chemical reactions, atoms interact by forming bonds with other atoms, either through covalent bonding (where electrons are shared) or ionic bonding (where electrons are transferred). The behavior of these atoms in a chemical reaction is determined by the number and arrangement of their valence electrons, which are the electrons in the outermost shell of the atom.
When atoms undergo chemical reactions, they may form new substances. However, the atoms themselves are not destroyed; they simply rearrange to form different compounds. This is consistent with the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.
Thus, the atom is the smallest particle of an element that maintains its identity and participates in chemical interactions, making it essential to all chemical processes. Understanding atoms and their behavior is crucial in fields like chemistry, biology, physics, and materials science
