Answer:
The smallest unit of matter, which possesses the characteristics of an element is known as an atom. It comprises a dense core known as the nucleus and alignment of outer shells inhabited by orbiting electrons.
The early concepts of the atom postulate that the atom is a solid or a hollow body comprising nothing within. However, the discoveries and work done by scientists afterward have proved that the atoms comprise the subatomic constituents, that is, the protons, electrons, and neutrons.