Atom - The smallest unit of any chemical element, consisting of a positive nucleus surrounded by

negative electrons. Atoms can combine to form a molecule. For e:g - A molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2)
has one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms.
Atomic Nucleus – The atomic nucleus is the small, dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at
the center of an atom. Protons and neutrons are bound together to form a nucleus by the nuclear force.
Nucleus – The positively charged central core of an atom, consisting of protons & neutrons and
containing nearly all its mass.
Protons – A proton is an atomic particle that has a positive electrical charge and is present in the central
part of an atom.
Electrons – An electron is a subatomic particle that has a negative electrical charge and is found in all
atoms.
Neutrons - A neutron is a subatomic particle without an electric charge and is present in the nucleus of
an atom.
Atomic Mass – The mass of an atom of a chemical element expressed in atomic mass units. It is
approximately equivalent to the number of protons & neutrons in the atom.
Atomic Number – The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
Molecular Mass – It is the mass of a given molecule. It is measured in unified atomic mass units.
Different molecules of the same compound may have different molecular masses because they contain
different isotopes of an element.
Isotopes – Are atoms that have the same number of protons and electrons but different numbers of
neutrons and therefore have different physical properties.

STATES OF MATTER
There are four states of matter - Solid, Liquid, Gas and Plasma.
Solid – Matter in the solid state maintains a fixed volume and shape, with component particles (atoms,
molecules or ions) close together and fixed into place. The forces between particles are so strong that
the particles cannot move freely but can only vibrate. As a result, a solid has a stable, definite shape, and
a definite volume. Solids can only change their shape by force, as when broken or cut. Solids can be
transformed into liquid by melting, and liquids can be transformed into solids by freezing. Solids can also
change directly into gases through the process of sublimation, and gases can likewise change directly
into solids through deposition.
Sublimation – is a chemical process where a solid turns into gas (or vapour state) without going through
a liquid state. For example – When ice cube shrink in the freezer (Ice to water vapour).
Deposition – is the process by which a gas transforms into solid without passing through the liquid
phase. For example – When frost is formed on a leaf. The reverse of deposition is sublimation and hence
sometimes deposition is also called as desublimation.
Condensation – is the change of the physical state of matter from the gas phase into the liquid phase,
and is the reverse of vaporisation.
Vaporisation – is the change of the physical state of matter from the liquid phase to vapour. There are
two types of vaporisation – evaporation and boiling. Evaporation is a phase transition from the liquid
phase to vapour whereas boiling is also a phase transition from the liquid phase to gas phase, but boiling
is the formation of vapour as bubbles of vapour below the surface of the liquid.
Liquid – Matter in the liquid state maintains a fixed volume, but has a variable shape that adapts to fit
its container. Its particles are still close together but move freely. A solid is transformed into liquid by
melting, and liquids can be transformed into solids by melting.
Gas – matter in the gaseous state has both variable volume and shape, adapting both to fit its container.
Its particles are neither close together nor fixed in place. A liquid may be converted to a gas by heating
at a constant temperature to the boiling point, or else by reducing the pressure at constant
temperature. At temperature below its critical temperature, a gas is also called vapour, and can be
liquefied by compression alone without cooling. A vapour can exist in equilibrium with a liquid or solid, Commented [C1]:
Plasma – Matter in the plasma state has variable volume and shape, and contains neutral atoms as well
as a significant number of ions and electrons, both of which can move around freely. A gas is usually
converted to a plasma in one of the two ways – either from a huge voltage difference between two
points, or by exposing it to extremely high temperatures.