Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Tim Chard on 03/11/2008 22:34:14

Title: What happens if you take away all of the electrons from an atom?
Post by: Tim Chard on 03/11/2008 22:34:14

Tim Chard  asked the Naked Scientists:

Hello

I was wondering what would happen to an atom if you slowly took away all its electrons and there were no other electrons to fill their place?

Thanks

Tim

What do you think?

Title: What happens if you take away all of the electrons from an atom?
Post by: RD on 03/11/2008 23:06:21

Quote

(n) plasma ((physical chemistry) a fourth state of matter distinct from solid or liquid or gas and present in stars and fusion reactors; a gas becomes a plasma when it is heated until the atoms lose all their electrons, leaving a highly electrified collection of nuclei and free electrons)

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=plasma

Title: What happens if you take away all of the electrons from an atom?
Post by: Make it Lady on 04/11/2008 21:34:13

Not the same as the stuff in your blood though!

Title: What happens if you take away all of the electrons from an atom?
Post by: Bored chemist on 04/11/2008 22:07:54

Also it's not usually though of as a requirement to lose all the electrons, just as long as most of the atoms have lost at least one. (indeed, by some definitions it's enough that at least some atoms get ionised)

However, it's perfectly possible to strip all the electrons off an atom. The more you take off the harder it is to remove the remaining ones.

Title: What happens if you take away all of the electrons from an atom?
Post by: lyner on 06/11/2008 23:15:49

Your resulting ion would pretty damn reactive -latch onto anything else it got near.
Alpha particles are a good example of this - they are very strongly ionising - but barely make it through an couple of cms of air.

Title: What happens if you take away all of the electrons from an atom?
Post by: Onlyinterestednotdevoted on 18/11/2008 21:13:20

Quote from: Make it  Lady on 04/11/2008 21:34:13

Not the same as the stuff in your blood though!

I am very glad that is not in my blood.

Title: What happens if you take away all of the electrons from an atom?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 19/11/2008 10:27:28

It would be like a very very reactive free radicle except with no electrons