title: Atoms (Simply Science)
author:  Melissa Stewart 
description: Melissa Stewart earned a bachelors degree in biology from Union College and a masters degree in science and environmental journalism from New York University. She has written more than thirty books for children and has contributed articles to a variety of magazines for adults and children. In her free time, Melissa enjoys hiking and canoeing near her home in Northborough, MA.
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  ![img](images/title.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  _To my parents,  
  Jan and Sue_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _While I was a university student, I spent a while doing physics revision at
  my Nana’s house. Nana, a down-to-earth northerner, was very impressed when I
  told her that I was studying the structure of the atom._
  
  
  _“Ooh,” she said, “and what can you do when you know that?”_
  
  
  _It is a very good question._
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  CONTENTS
  
  
  
  
  
  [_Introduction_](int.xhtml#int_1)
  
  
  [1\. Popcorn and Rockets](ch1.xhtml#ch_1)
  
  
  [2\. What Goes Up Must Come Down](ch2.xhtml#ch_2)
  
  
  [3\. Small Is Beautiful](ch3.xhtml#ch_3)
  
  
  [4\. A Moment in Time](ch4.xhtml#ch_4)
  
  
  [5\. Making Waves](ch5.xhtml#ch_5)
  
  
  [6\. Why Don’t Ducks Get Cold Feet?](ch6.xhtml#ch_6)
  
  
  [7\. Spoons, Spirals, and Sputnik](ch7.xhtml#ch_7)
  
  
  [8\. When Opposites Attract](ch8.xhtml#ch_8)
  
  
  [9\. A Sense of Perspective](ch9.xhtml#ch_9)
  
  
  [_References_](ref.xhtml#ref_1)
  
  
  [_Acknowledgments_](ack.xhtml#ack_1)
  
  
  [_Index_](ind.xhtml#ind_1)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  STORM  
   _in a_  
  TEAC