Science, Tech, Math Science The Most Basic Unit of Matter: The Atom Matter Is Made of Atoms Share Flipboard Email Print Science Photo Library - ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI / Getty Images Science Chemistry Basics Chemical Laws Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry in Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Updated March 06, 2017 Question: What is the most basic building block of matter?Answer: The basic unit of all matter is the atom. The atom is the smallest unit of matter that can't be divided using any chemical means and the building block that has unique properties. In other words, an atom of each element is different from an atom of any other element. However, even the atom can be broken into smaller pieces, called quarks. Structure of the AtomAn atom is the smallest unit of an element. There are 3 parts of an atom: proton - positive electrical charge, found in the nucleus of an atom neutron - neutral or no electrical charge, found in the nucleus of an atom electron - negative electrical charge, found circling the nucleusThe size of the proton and neutron are similar, while the size (mass) of the electron is much, much smaller. The electrical charge of the proton and electron are exactly equal to each other, just opposite to each other. The proton and electron attract each other. Neither the proton nor the electron is attracted or repelled by the neutron.Atoms Consist of Subatomic ParticlesEach proton and neutron consist of even smaller particles called quarks. The quarks are held together by particles called gluons. An electron is a different type of particle, called a lepton. proton - consists of 2 up quarks and 1 down quark neutron - consists of 2 down quarks and 1 up quark electron - is a leptonThere are other subatomic particles, too. So, at the subatomic level, it's difficult to identify a single particle that could be called the basic building block of matter. You could say quarks and leptons are the basic building blocks of the matter if you like. Various Examples of Matter citecite this article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "The Most Basic Unit of Matter: The Atom." ThoughtCo, Feb. 19, 2017, thoughtco.com/most-basic-building-block-of-matter-608358. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2017, February 19). The Most Basic Unit of Matter: The Atom. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/most-basic-building-block-of-matter-608358 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "The Most Basic Unit of Matter: The Atom." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/most-basic-building-block-of-matter-608358 (accessed April 22, 2018). copy citation Continue Reading