2007-01-04 06:51:20 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
If your substance is an element, then the smallest division of it is an atom. If your substance is a mixture or cobination of elements, then the smallest division is a molecule of the combination.
2007-01-04 06:57:14 · answer #1 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I already answered a question simliar to this one, and so I'll give the same response:
To exist is to have properties, whether it be mass, spin, charge, frequency, phase, etc. Size is another such property, but even if something had no size at all, it still could have other attributes, such as phase, which is a pretty abstract thing but nonetheless can have a real presence.
Ordinary matter that we're familiar with does have a lower bound, called Planck Scale (see wiki article) which is considered by many physicists as the boundary between ordinary matter, and something currently beyond physical understanding. String theorists believe that vibrating strings reside in compactified dimensions in the order of Planck Length, or about 10^-35 m, but other theories being proposed probe even smaller features. And they are very exotic. Nevertheless, however exotic "existence" may be at those tiny dimensions, even as "ordinary properties" are squeezed out at this scale, it does not rule out the possibility of other realms of physical existence at those "so small that it can't possibly exist" scales. It's just not like anything you and I would be familiar with. For example, ordered time may even cease to exist at those scales.
2007-01-04 07:11:54 · answer #2 · answered by Scythian1950 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a trick question. An atom is comprised of electrons, neutrons, and protons. And each individual proton, electron, or neutron will retain it's basic properties no matter what atom it is part of. However an atom is the smallest particle of any given material that is used to define that material. For example a gold atom has a specific number of electrons, protons, and neutrons. But these particles in the gold atom are no different than those in a silver atom....only the number and physical orientation.
2007-01-04 07:40:30 · answer #3 · answered by richard Alvarado 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the substance is an element then the smallest unit is the ATOM
If the substance is a compound then the smallest unit is the MOLECULE.
2007-01-04 09:25:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A molecule. No other explanation is needed for a layman. If you want a discourse on this subject enroll somewhere.
Example:
An element such as Oxygen will shows its properties only as a molecule (O2) so one cannot say oxygen existing in its elemental state (as an atom) will show the physical properties of Oxygen as such.
2007-01-04 07:48:03 · answer #5 · answered by CARLOS_TINCO 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you are dividing it will eventually disappear Even a distance will go out of existence if you divide it enough times.
2007-01-06 03:14:56 · answer #6 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
elements can be reduced to atoms as they only have one type of atom. For example: Hydrogen is made of nothing but hydrogen atoms. Compounds can be reduced to molecule (a group of atoms). Eg: Water is two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
2016-03-29 07:42:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atom
Substance is not the right term, but Element
2007-01-06 00:45:59 · answer #8 · answered by Ishfaq A 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dodnt usaually do the daft answer but me and my wife divided(split)and she took all the properties
2007-01-04 07:04:29 · answer #9 · answered by slashdog2003 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
an atom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom
2007-01-04 07:13:42 · answer #10 · answered by macgyver 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋