Answer the following question in short:

What are the characteristics of atoms of elements?

Atoms are the smallest particle of elements that exhibits all properties of an element and takes part in a chemical reaction.

Characteristics of atoms of elements:

• Atom is the smallest particle that is divisible.
• It consists of protons, electrons, and neutrons. These are known as fundamental sub-particles.
• An atom can neither be created nor be destroyed.
• Protons and neutrons are present in the nucleus of an atom while electrons revolve around the nucleus at definite energy levels.
• Each element has its own atomic number, which is equal to the number of protons in its nucleus.
• Isotopes of an element contain different numbers of neutrons.
• Elements are represented by an atomic symbol
• Atoms of the same element are identical but atoms of a different element are different. For example, Nitrogen is made up of nitrogen atoms while Oxygen is made up of oxygen atoms.
• An atom of an element exhibits all properties of the element.