Would thinking of the fourier transform as breaking a signal down into basic elements (like atoms) and figuring out how much of each atom is in the signal? Each

Would thinking of the fourier transform as breaking a signal down into basic elements (like atoms) and figuring out how much of each atom is in the signal? Each different value of "K" then is like using a Ph strip to measure approximate energy b/c that particular strip reacts most strongly to a certain k.