All matter* (whether solid, liquid, or a gas) is composed of particles so small that they cannot be seen - even with the most powerful microscopes. These particles are called atoms and they are the building blocks of the chemical elements*. The word "atom" is Greek and it means "cannot be split". But we now know that atoms can be split and that they split into protons, neutrons and electrons. The protons and neutrons form the atom's
nucleus.
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