Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: thedoc on 05/09/2016 09:23:02

Title: What keeps electrons and protons apart in an atom?
Post by: thedoc on 05/09/2016 09:23:02

David (its that man on the rock lol) asked the Naked Scientists:

What force keeps electrons and protons apart in an atom? Does gravity play a role in this?

Mind you, if the perception gravity is based on the warping of time, would time itself inter-act with the electrons/protons and other sub-atomic particles to created the distance away from the nucleus of the atom????
What do you think?

Title: Re: Does gravity play a role
Post by: evan_au on 05/09/2016 12:14:06

Gravity is so weak compared to the electric forces in an atom that it can be effectively ignored.

This topic has been dealt with extensively in another recent thread: http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=68158.0

Title: Re: Does gravity play a role
Post by: PmbPhy on 06/09/2016 15:17:35

Quote from: David

What force keeps electrons and protons distant from the nucleus of an atom? Does gravity play a role in this?

The Coulomb force (aka the electric force). See: http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/CoulombForce.html

Quote from: David

Mind you, if the perception gravity is based on the warping of time, would time itself inter-act with the electrons/protons and other sub-atomic particles to created the distance away from the nucleus of the atom????

No. It's not meaningful to speak of time interacting in the way you mention.