Chemistry: Talking about Atoms

What are atoms? Are humans made of atoms? (age 10)

You bet we are made of atoms! Atoms are the smallest pieces of chemical elements. Scientists have figured out that there are about 118 different kinds of elements. Have you ever heard of gold, calcium, neon, or aluminum? These are some of the elements. Every kind of stuff is made of a combination of elements. Human beings are made up of tiny atoms of these different elements too. Most of our bodies are made of the elements called oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen.

Atoms are so small that we can’t see them with our eyes. We can’t even see them with a regular microscope. We need a special high-powered microscope to see a single atom. Atoms are so small that a human hair is about a million carbon atoms wide. We are amazing living creatures made up of a HUGE amount of teeny tiny atoms.

Thanks for your question!

Your friend,
Professor Science