Difference between revisions of "Atomic nucleus"

Revision as of 18:54, 18 October 2016

Explanation

An atomic nucleus is the center of an atom, made up of protons and neutrons. These are together known as nucleons. The protons and neutrons in a nucleus are held together by the nuclear force, which is a remnant of the strongest fundamental force in nature, the strong interaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why electrons don’t fall into the nucleus due to attraction?

Electrons tends to stay away from the nucleus because it would violate the uncertainty principle. If the electron is confined inside a space as small as the nucleus, then its position and momentum could be determined, which is impossible. So that doesn’t actually happen when you try to confine an electron inside a nucleus. According to the uncertainty principle, the energy of the electron will increase as it moves closer to the nucleus. This increases the momentum uncertainty and tends to push the electron away from the nucleus, battling the electrostatic force. The point at which these two cancel out each other will be the electron’s stable configuration in an atom. But there is a special type of decay called as the beta plus decay, where a proton-rich nucleus would absorb an electron to decay itself into a neutron by emitting a positron and a neutrino.