Atoms are a bit like people: they usually prefer company to being alone. A lot of atoms prefer to join up with other atoms because they're more stable that way. So hydrogen atoms don't exist by themselves: instead, they pair up to make what is called a molecule of hydrogen. A molecu...
Not all atoms are stable. Some isotopes are unstable and will spontaneously decay. There are several types of decay. One is alpha particle decay, wherein an atom releases a helium nucleus.Beta decayinvolves the emission of a proton or an electron. Ingamma-decay, a gamma-ray photon is emitt...
according to the rules of electricity. Some atomic nuclei are unstable because the binding force varies for different atoms based on the size of the nucleus. These
The Lewis structure, shown above, indicates that each C atom has zero pairs of electrons not used in bonding (called lone pairs) and four shared pairs of electrons (written between the atoms). The Lewis structure of ethylene indicates that there are one carbon-carbon double bond and four car...
Why are noble gases chemically inert? Is carbon-12 chemically active or inert? Define noble gases What does isoelectronic mean in chemistry? What is a reactive atom? What does stable isotope mean? What does it mean for an atom to have an unstable level/amount (of) Valence electron(s)?
Matter is composed of atoms. Some atoms are unstable. As these atoms change to become more stable, they give off invisible energy waves or particles called radiation. There are different types of radiation, some more energetic than others. One type of radiation, non-ionizing radiation, has enou...
Neutrons are an important tool for research in medicine, materials, and other fields. Scientists produce neutrons at research reactors and particle accelerators. Researchers project these neutrons onto samples of materials. Some of the neutrons interact directly with atoms in the sample and “bounce”...
Why are they called so? Which phase of matter consists of particles that are locked into place and unable to move past each other? A) What are the fundamental particles of which all matter is composed? B) Which of these fundamental particles are unstable and under what conditions? What is...
The oxygen molecule consists of two atoms of oxygen-written as O2. In the stratosphere the ultraviolet rays of the sun can break the molecule down into individual atoms—O and O.2These atoms are unstable and can attach themselves to other oxygen molecules to form molecules of ozone oxygen wit...
Unstable atoms tend to become stable by changing the structure of their nucleus and emitting excess energy as radiation. The ability of an atomic nucleus to spontaneously decay with the emission of elementary particles, gamma rays, and/or nuclear fragments is called radioactivity, and the atom is...