If houses are made of atoms, why aren't atoms made of houses?

Question

I know it sounds silly, but my science teacher was talking about how atoms are like houses and I was wondering what correlation there was between the two. I don't see any, personally.

busterwasmycat · Answer

She was using an analogy.  Substances (compounds) form structures by joining of atoms.  A house is a structure that has certain rules to how it is put together.  Substances are like that, in a gross sense.  The rules and the details are completely different, of course.  But both are structures that are held together in the shape and form that the have, because of the application of physical laws.  Structures are stable and last because they have something that holds them together.

If houses are made of atoms, why aren't atoms made of houses?

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