A Stupid Question

I realize this is not a chemistry group, but I figure I could get some slack
cut for me, since I lurk here quite a bit.

I am starting to reach my seven year old about elements, so I want to be
sure I understand some basics. If I had a atom of Helium, a great pair of
scissors and a some super glue, I could theoretically, cut the Helium atom
(2 Protons, 2 Nuetrons, 2 Electrons) into pieces and then make two Hydrogen
atoms (1 proton, 1 electron) and just toss the nuetrons in the garbage.

Is this correct?

Is a proton a proton? and an electron an electron? and a neutron a nuetron?

BV.

Is a proton a proton? and an electron an electron? and a neutron a nuetron?

BV.


A typo,
But close enough for jazz.

_______
Blog, or dog? Who knows. But if you see my lost pup, please ping me!
A
HREF="http://journals.aol.com/virginiaz/DreamingofLeonardo"http://journal
s.aol.com/virginiaz/DreamingofLeonardo/A

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 09:28:00 -0500, "Benign Vanilla"
wrote:


I am starting to reach my seven year old about elements, so I want to be
sure I understand some basics. If I had a atom of Helium, a great pair of
scissors and a some super glue, I could theoretically, cut the Helium atom
(2 Protons, 2 Nuetrons, 2 Electrons) into pieces and then make two Hydrogen
atoms (1 proton, 1 electron) and just toss the nuetrons in the garbage.

Is this correct?

Is a proton a proton? and an electron an electron? and a neutron a nuetron?

BV.

You just basically described fission. The two neutrons, if they had
enough energy, would collide with other helium atoms and split them as
well. In this case, you will need to add more energy to the system to
continue the reaction, but in the case of heavier elements, the
reaction continues...uranium bombs use this principle.
If the hydrogen atoms retain the neutrons, they are just another
isotope of hydrogen, which exists in nature and is called deuterium.
The chemical properties are identical (since chemistry is governed by
bonds among electrons), but the atomic weight is double the weight of
a normal hydrogen atom.

Kapella

"Benign Vanilla" wrote in
:

I realize this is not a chemistry group, but I figure I could get some
slack cut for me, since I lurk here quite a bit.

I am starting to reach my seven year old about elements, so I want to
be sure I understand some basics. If I had a atom of Helium, a great
pair of scissors and a some super glue, I could theoretically, cut the
Helium atom (2 Protons, 2 Nuetrons, 2 Electrons) into pieces and then
make two Hydrogen atoms (1 proton, 1 electron) and just toss the
nuetrons in the garbage.

Is this correct?

More or less. You would have to supply a lot of energy to break an alpha
particle (He neucleus) apart - it's an endothermic reaction. On the other
hand stripping off the two elections from He to form an alpha particle
plus 2e is endothermic too but doesn't require nearly as much energy. The
free neutrons will either react with another nucleus or failing that they
will spontaneously decay into protons + e + v~ . In sum you get:

He ---- 4 p + 4 e + 2 v~

Where the v~ are electron anti neutrinos.

LK.





Is a proton a proton? and an electron an electron? and a neutron a
nuetron?

BV.

Llanzlan Klazmon wrote:
"Benign Vanilla" wrote in
:


I realize this is not a chemistry group, but I figure I could get some
slack cut for me, since I lurk here quite a bit.

I am starting to reach my seven year old about elements, so I want to
be sure I understand some basics. If I had a atom of Helium, a great
pair of scissors and a some super glue, I could theoretically, cut the
Helium atom (2 Protons, 2 Nuetrons, 2 Electrons) into pieces and then
make two Hydrogen atoms (1 proton, 1 electron) and just toss the
nuetrons in the garbage.

Is this correct?


More or less. You would have to supply a lot of energy to break an alpha
particle (He neucleus) apart - it's an endothermic reaction. On the other
hand stripping off the two elections from He to form an alpha particle
plus 2e is endothermic too but doesn't require nearly as much energy. The
free neutrons will either react with another nucleus or failing that they
will spontaneously decay into protons + e + v~ . In sum you get:

He ---- 4 p + 4 e + 2 v~

Where the v~ are electron anti neutrinos.

LK.





Is a proton a proton? and an electron an electron? and a neutron a
nuetron?

BV.





Hey BV,

I think scissors will do the trick. At least in the context of a couple
of nerf balls and some string.

BV You read my posts,and hear me say "Dog trying to catch its own tail.
Gravity and Mass or Mass and gravity. I'm starting to make myself bored
by saying it again. Gravity creates mass particles with its compression
force from space energy. In the sub-micro realm the compression force of
gravity in "tons"is (1 with 39 zeros after it) The size of the space it
uses this great force on is ( a centimeter divided by 1 with 33 zeros
after it. BV this comes from John Schwartz and Joel Scherk and they used
this thinking to give the string theory a boast in the early 70's.
Gravity created a string with this great force,and gave the string great
tension,and that transfered to great vibrations,and those great
vibrations created the electron,and its charge.
Again you ask BV "What creates mass?" Going classical(Google) Mass is
created by the Higgs field(or particle take your pick) BV go to
Google.and look up the hypothetical particle "Higgs" nightbat does not
like the Higgs particle any more than the graviton. BV You have the
honor to be the first person I told to go to Google in my whole life.
Bert