Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: neilep on 27/03/2012 15:14:21

Title: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: neilep on 27/03/2012 15:14:21

Dear Atomologists,

I luff cheese...and if perchance some tragic event means I can not eat my cheese then cheese will go off and eventually disintegrate away. But what of the atoms that made the cheese ?..they are still floating about yes ?...will they eventually wear out and die ?

Fortunately the camera on my phone is so good I managed to get a close up of some cheese and found this atom there.

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

My Cheesey Atom.....poooo !!...Bit pongy !!



So, do atoms eventually just wear out ?




whajafink ?



Neil
xxx

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: RD on 27/03/2012 16:52:44

This is a cheese atom ...

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F&hash=3cd4f4119996b42d10f5ed9eb0e8d712) [ Invalid Attachment ]


modern model of atom here ... http://daugerresearch.com/orbitals/index.shtml

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: imatfaal on 27/03/2012 17:31:28

Everything decays eventually to a lower energy state - the time scale for stable isotopes of atoms is enormous though (way longer than universe so far obviously).

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: neilep on 27/03/2012 17:50:49

Quote from: RD on 27/03/2012 16:52:44

This is a cheese atom ...

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F&hash=3cd4f4119996b42d10f5ed9eb0e8d712) [ Invalid Attachment ]


modern model of atom here ... http://daugerresearch.com/orbitals/index.shtml

HA HA !!...luff it !!

what ever happened to the mature version of Babybel ?..can't find it anywhere !

Nice link...thanks RD

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: neilep on 27/03/2012 17:54:13

Quote from: imatfaal on 27/03/2012 17:31:28

Everything decays eventually to a lower energy state - the time scale for stable isotopes of atoms is enormous though (way longer than universe so far obviously).

Does this mean I should not cancel my hair appointment next Tuesday ?  I was going to cancel the appointment and watch my cheese atom decay by then !!.....Ok ok ok !......but a couple of weeks should be enough then ! Thanks imatfaal

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: Lmnre on 28/03/2012 22:25:47

Interesting thought -- I wonder if there's such a thing as "spontaneous" E=mc². It obviously doesn't happen often, but "poof", an atom appears or disappears. Just one of those quirky physical science things. We can call it the Cheesy Atom Phenomenon ("CAP" for short).

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: neilep on 29/03/2012 05:00:59

Quote from: Lmnre on 28/03/2012 22:25:47

Interesting thought -- I wonder if there's such a thing as "spontaneous" E=mc². It obviously doesn't happen often, but "poof", an atom appears or disappears. Just one of those quirky physical science things. We can call it the Cheesy Atom Phenomenon ("CAP" for short).

Thanks Lmnre....yes, CAP it is !....that's another Nobel prize for the mantelpiece  [;)]

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: syhprum on 29/03/2012 06:44:14

Protons are reckoned to last somewhere between 10^33 and 10^35 years but as yet there no experimental evidense

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: Nizzle on 29/03/2012 12:36:53

So how do they get to that number.. Seems very arbitrary :/

Title: Re: Does An Atom Wear Out ? Is It Like My Cheese ?
Post by: syhprum on 29/03/2012 12:44:39

Take a look here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_decay