The force that holds the electrons and protons together is the electromagnetic force . ... The same electromagnetic force that draws opposite charged electrons and protons together tries to push the protons (which all have the same charge) away from each other.
What holds the nucleus together?
The force that holds a nucleus together is the nuclear force , a short-range force between nucleons. At very small separations, the nuclear force is repulsive, keeping the protons and neutrons from getting too close to one another.
Do electrons hold the nucleus together?
There has to be some other force that holds protons and neutrons together. ... So the nucleus of an atom is held together by the strong force, while the electrons are held in the atom by the electric force .
Why protons are held together in nucleus?
The strong nuclear
Why do electrons not fall into the nucleus?
Quantum mechanics states that among all the possible energy levels an electron can sit in the presence of a nucleus, there is one, which has THE MINIMAL energy. This energy level is called the ground state. So, even if atoms are in a very very called environment, QM prohibits electrons from falling to the nucleus.
What happens if an electron touches a proton?
The electron starts as a regular atomic electron, with its wavefunction spreading through the atom and overlapping with the nucleus. In time, the electron reacts with the proton via its overlapping portion, collapses to a point in the nucleus , and disappears as it becomes part of the new neutron.
Why is a nucleus unstable?
Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. ... An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy . Instability of an atom's nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons.
Why do protons not fly apart in nucleus?
The strong nuclear
Why do protons not move?
The attraction between protons and electrons holds particles together. ... Protons and neutrons never move from object to object . The energy that comes from these charged particles is called electrical energy. When the negative charges move to a neutral object, an electric charge builds up on both objects.
Why do electrons move around the nucleus?
Like gravity acting on planets, an electromagnetic force attracts the orbiting electron to the nucleus. Classical physicists wondered that the electron didn't run out of energy. Niels Bohr solved this mystery by introducing quanta, discrete energy states in which electrons may stably persist.
Where do electrons get their energy?
The electron can gain the energy it needs by absorbing light . If the electron jumps from the second energy level down to the first energy level, it must give off some energy by emitting light. The atom absorbs or emits light in discrete packets called photons, and each photon has a definite energy.
Why do electrons move?
When a negative charge is brought near one end of a conductor electrons are repelled. ... When electric voltage is applied , an electric field within the metal triggers the movement of the electrons, making them shift from one end to another end of the conductor. Electrons will move toward the positive side.
Can an electron become a proton?
For example, beta decay
Can an electron and proton collide?
A: Nope, no can do . It's because electrons and protons are different animals. An electron can annihilate with a positron (anti-electron) and a proton can annihilate with an anti-proton, but not with each other.
What happens when two protons collide?
When they collide, interesting things can happen. In most proton collisions the quarks and gluons inside the two protons interact to form a wide array of low-energy, ordinary particles . Occasionally, heavier particles are produced, or energetic particles paired with their anti-particles.
How do you know if a nucleus is stable?
The principal factor for determining whether a nucleus is stable is the neutron to proton ratio . Elements with (Z<20) are lighter and these elements' nuclei and have a ratio of 1:1 and prefer to have the same amount of protons and neutrons.
