Prepare for your Environmental Science Exam 1 with our interactive quiz. Test your knowledge with various question types featuring detailed explanations. Start today and ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

The building blocks of matter are:

Atoms are the basic units that make up all matter. They are the smallest units that retain the properties of an element, and everything you encounter—solids, liquids, gases—is built from atoms arranged in different ways. Elements consist of only one type of atom, so they’re defined by that single building block. When atoms bond, they form molecules, which are the structures that make up compounds. Ions are charged forms of atoms, not a separate building block of matter, and while molecules are made of atoms, the most fundamental unit from which all matter is built is the atom.

Atoms are the basic units that make up all matter. They are the smallest units that retain the properties of an element, and everything you encounter—solids, liquids, gases—is built from atoms arranged in different ways. Elements consist of only one type of atom, so they’re defined by that single building block. When atoms bond, they form molecules, which are the structures that make up compounds. Ions are charged forms of atoms, not a separate building block of matter, and while molecules are made of atoms, the most fundamental unit from which all matter is built is the atom.