From what I understand, some of the elements on the table of elements are man made (true?)
I was told they were made in particle colliders by smashing existing elements together in such a way as to rearrange their inner bits. (true?)
If all of the above is true, would that mean that you could make an infinite amount of elements with different properties, by rearranging their inner bits in different ways?
Also, could you calculate how many of each part an atom would need to have a specific set of properties, and then smash em together in such a way to get an element with the properties you want?
Super-heavy elements have been created, but the atoms are unstable and split within milliseconds. The Strong Force which keeps the protons together cannot act over large distances, unlike the Electrostatic force. As long as the Strong Force is 'winning,' the atoms stays together. When the size of the atom becomes too big, the electrostatic repelling force (proton vs proton) pushes the atom apart.
In short, yes, but the atoms won't stick around for very long.
arpc_01
22nd October 2009 - 06:44 PM
QUOTE (flyingbuttressman+Oct 22 2009, 06:33 PM)
Super-heavy elements have been created, but the atoms are unstable and split within milliseconds. The Strong Force which keeps the protons together cannot act over large distances, unlike the Electrostatic force. As long as the Strong Force is 'winning,' the atoms stays together. When the size of the atom becomes too big, the electrostatic repelling force (proton vs proton) pushes the atom apart.
In short, yes, but the atoms won't stick around for very long.
At absolute zero, atoms stop moving, right? So if you froze the atom before it could come apart, would it stay like that?
Or, is there anyway to stop time were the atom is so that it doesn't come apart?
flyingbuttressman
22nd October 2009 - 06:59 PM
QUOTE (arpc_01+Oct 22 2009, 02:44 PM)
At absolute zero, atoms stop moving, right? So if you froze the atom before it could come apart, would it stay like that?
The atoms stop 'bumping' around at absolute zero, but the electron still orbits the nucleus, and the protons behave the same way. Temperature does not exist at that scale.
QUOTE
Or, is there anyway to stop time were the atom is so that it doesn't come apart?
If you stop time for the atom, you stop time for the observer as well.
arpc_01
22nd October 2009 - 07:29 PM
QUOTE (flyingbuttressman+Oct 22 2009, 06:59 PM)
The atoms stop 'bumping' around at absolute zero, but the electron still orbits the nucleus, and the protons behave the same way. Temperature does not exist at that scale.
If you stop time for the atom, you stop time for the observer as well.
Ok, that makes sense. Thank you for the clear explanation.
Aside from making new elements, if you had an infinite source of power and an infinite amount of particle colliders, could you feasibly take dirt and turn it into gold, or is there more to the process?
So in the future could you have a huge particle collider factory powered by a fusion generator that takes useless elements and converts them into industrially useful ones?
flyingbuttressman
22nd October 2009 - 07:32 PM
QUOTE (arpc_01+Oct 22 2009, 03:29 PM)
Aside from making new elements, if you had an infinite source of power and an infinite amount of particle colliders, could you feasibly take dirt and turn it into gold, or is there more to the process?
So in the future could you have a huge particle collider factory powered by a fusion generator that takes useless elements and converts them into industrially useful ones?
Transmutation to gold has actually been done already, but it's cost prohibitive. I.E. the power consumption and labor required far outweighs the value of the gold. Plus, you can only create new elements one atom at a time.
Matador
23rd October 2009 - 08:01 AM
post deleted. sorry
Beer w/Straw
23rd October 2009 - 06:05 PM
Well... I'm confused at what happens in a supernova. Like "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." I don't know if heavier elements are created from fusion by the reaction to the massive explosian. What a sun can do by the force of gravity alone is create heavy elemnts such as iron. It fuses Hydrogen to become Helium normally to glow.
I say this because what I'm about to say next ventures on to speculation. A black hole has such a massive amount of gravity that it has the potential to fuse new elements nobody can believe.
arpc_01
23rd October 2009 - 06:38 PM
QUOTE (Beer w/Straw+Oct 23 2009, 06:05 PM)
A black hole has such a massive amount of gravity that it has the potential to fuse new elements nobody can believe.
QUOTE
The Strong Force which keeps the protons together cannot act over large distances, unlike the Electrostatic force. As long as the Strong Force is 'winning,' the atoms stays together. When the size of the atom becomes too big, the electrostatic repelling force (proton vs proton) pushes the atom apart.
So gravity would overcome the electrostatic force and keep the elements together...
Would that mean that if you are on another planet with more gravity you would be able to put together more types of elements that would be unstable on earth? Or does the gravity of the planet even affect the electrostatic force pulling them apart?
flyingbuttressman
23rd October 2009 - 06:47 PM
QUOTE (Beer w/Straw+Oct 23 2009, 02:05 PM)
Well... I'm confused at what happens in a supernova. Like "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." I don't know if heavier elements are created from fusion by the reaction to the massive explosian. What a sun can do by the forece of gracity alone is create heavy elemnts such as iron. It fuses Hydrogen to become Helium normally to glow.
When a star goes supernova, there is so much energy being released that elements of all kinds fuse. You have more energy than the total lifetime output of a thousand suns. In the heart of a star, the heaviest element created is iron. During a supernova, all elements are created.
QUOTE
I say this because what I'm about to say next ventures on to speculation. A black hole has such a massive amount of gravity that it has the potential to fuse new elements nobody can believe.
If you think about what a neutron star is (all neutrons) you could say that a neutron star is one giant atom.
flyingbuttressman
23rd October 2009 - 06:58 PM
QUOTE (arpc_01+Oct 23 2009, 02:38 PM)
Would that mean that if you are on another planet with more gravity you would be able to put together more types of elements that would be unstable on earth? Or does the gravity of the planet even affect the electrostatic force pulling them apart?
The atom would have to be at the center of the planet with the entire planet pressing down on it. Even then, I don't think that it would be enough.
Granouille
23rd October 2009 - 11:07 PM
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