Atoms are found everywhere as the basic building blocks of all matter. They make up everything that has mass and takes up space, including solids, liquids, gases, and plasma. Atoms combine to form molecules, which in turn make up all physical substances. More specifically:
- Atoms exist in all physical matter around us, including the air, water, earth, rocks, living organisms, and man-made objects.
- Most of the mass of ordinary matter is made of atoms grouped into elements and compounds.
- Atoms consist of a nucleus (protons and neutrons) and electrons, and they are the fundamental units of chemical elements.
- In the universe, atoms formed after the Big Bang as the universe cooled, allowing protons and neutrons to combine and later electrons to attach to nuclei forming stable atoms.
- On Earth, atoms are found in everything from the atmosphere (in gases like oxygen and nitrogen) to the Earth's crust (in minerals and metals) to living beings (in organic molecules).
In essence, atoms are found wherever matter exists, constituting all tangible substances in the universe.
