ABSTRACT

The concept of the universe’s evolvement goes, about one second after the “big bang,” the expanding universe was peppered with elementary particles including protons, neutrons, and electrons. The consequent gravitational heating within stars opened pathways to the production of heavier and heavier combinations of protons and neutrons and the elements associated with them. Atoms, positively charged nuclei plus their surrounding electrons, are able to lose or gain electrons, thereby becoming ions. A compound is a combination of atoms of at least two different elements. The combination of silicon with two oxygen atoms is the counterpart to carbon dioxide and is called silicon dioxide. The total mass of an atom is that of the nucleus plus that of the very light electrons, less an extremely small amount that is released when the electrons become bound about the nucleus. The atomic mass can be determined very precisely, relative to some standard, using modern instruments.