Bits and pieces
What’s in a sand castle? Millions and millions
of tiny grains of sand. The many grains of sand are packed together to
make a single shape—a castle with towers, walls, and bridges.
And what are you made of? Millions and millions of tiny bits, each one
even smaller than a grain of sand! You and all the other things around
you—people and cars, rocks, water, and even the air—are made of bits
that are put together in different ways.
These bits are called atoms [(at]{.smallcaps} uhmz). Atoms are much
smaller than a grain of sand. In fact, they are too small for you to
see. But if you could see them, you would find that these tiny atoms are
made up of even smaller pieces!
Every atom has a center part called a nucleus [(noo]{.smallcaps} klee
uhs). And outside the nucleus there are even tinier bits called
electrons (ih [lehk]{.smallcaps} trahnz).
Even though atoms are so tiny you can’t see them, they still have weight
and take up space. They are tiny bits of matter. Everything that is
matter—even you—is made up of these tiny bits.
