The story of small things!

“ I won't let you sleep unless you tell me ten stories tonight.” Ram made a serious note as Radha didi sat with him near the table for dinner.

“Ten stories? Isn’t that little too much for a single night Ram?” Radha didi smiled.

“Not at all. I can take even more of them.” He winked at her.

“Listen, today I will tell you the story of small things. Would you like to hear?”

“Small things? , you mean mustard seeds?. ” He dug out some mustard seeds from the curry and popped them with his little fingers.

“Even smaller than them”. Radha didi told while passing the rotis to him.

“Poppy seeds, beans, sugar crystals, the nib of a pen,” he started listing out many small things he knew one by one.

“Things which are way too smaller than all everything you just mentioned. Things that are so small that you will not be able to see them with the naked eye, ”

“Oh you mean a bacteria?. Our teacher told us bacteria and viruses will cause fever and other illnesses. But we can not see them with the naked eye. So even if our hands look neat before we eat, we should wash them with soap and water. I know now, your story is about a bacteria.” he announced with confidence.

“No Ram, even smaller than that. It is about the smallest unit with which matter is made of.”

“What?” That statement was too complex for a seven-year-old brain.

“Yeah, Matter, for example, this sugar, salt, water everything you see is made up of small units called molecules.” Radha didi pointed to condiment bottles kept on the dining table and continued.

“The smallest unit of a material with all its chemical properties is called a molecule. Each sugar crystal you take has numerous sugar molecules in it. Each salt crystal is made up of millions of salt molecules. Every drop of water constitutes billions of water molecules and so on.” Radha paused for a minute and took a spoon full of rice and curries in her plate and started eating, while Ram was trying to sink in the new piece of knowledge he has just acquired.

“How do I get a molecule?” He looked puzzled.

“If for example, you manage to breakdown this sugar crystal smaller and smaller size, you will end up in a molecule. But you can not do it just by cutting it with a knife.” Radha took a single sugar crystal and showed it to him.

“Hey, please do not discourage me by saying I can’t do. I will do it. Let me try with this sharpest knife we have.” He stopped eating and ran to the kitchen in search of the sharpest knife and came back with a small knife and the chopping board.

“Pass me the sugar please.” He looked serious and deterministic.

“Don’t cut your fingers, Ram.” Warned Radha didi and his mother.

Without giving ears to anyone, he started exhibiting his knife skills. He began to cut the crystal into small pieces and ended up in a pretty small piece of sugar. His eyes sparkled.

“It looks like a perfect molecule! Look, I have got a molecule here. A pretty neat molecule of sugar that glitters.” He announced victoriously.

“Haha, good job Ram! But this small piece would consist of billions of molecules, not just one.” Radha didi couldn’t control her laughter.

“Oh. Is a molecule that small?” He felt a little sad due to the late realization that it is in fact not possible to cut things down manually with a kitchen knife, to molecule size.

“So I think, the molecule is the smallest thing in this universe. Isn’t it didi?”

“Not really Ram.”

“What? Even smaller things than molecules? I can’t believe it! What’s that?”

“For instance, atoms are smaller than molecules.”

“Oh. Atoms! I have heard of atom bombs.”

“Yes. Molecules are made up of atoms, which are made up of even smaller things like electrons, protons, and neutrons. The nucleus of an atom is made up of neutrons and protons. If you think of an atom like a sphere, the nucleus is the center of the sphere and electrons revolve around the center just like the earth and other planets revolve around the sun. This is known as the planetary model of the atom. You will learn about this in higher classes.” Radha paused for a moment.

“Oh my god, molecules, atoms, electrons, nucleus it is becoming smaller and smaller as you go along. What is next didi?”

“I shall tell you the rest of the story tomorrow. It’s time for you to sleep now.” Radha didi went to wash her hands.

“Ram you left dinner table for cutting sugar. Did you finish your dinner? Eat your dinner completely and go.” His mom called from the kitchen.

“I am full mom. Not even a molecule of food will find space to enter into my tummy now.” He announced.