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Yes, the Universe is this big, giant, unfathomable thing. But even the largest of things are made from the most basic of materials.
And you can't get more basic than the nucleus of an atom... |
“When we have found how the nucleus of atoms is built up we shall have found the greatest secret of all — except life. We shall have found the basis of everything — of the earth we walk on, of the air we breathe, of the sunshine, of our physical body itself, of everything in the world, however great or however small — except life.” - Ernest Rutherford, as quoted in "The Wit and Wisdom of the 20th Century" (1987)
Today were going to review and analyze Hank Green’s first video on chemistry, starring those core constituents of an atom, the three subatomic particles – neutrons, electrons and protons.
Note that although Hank is largely correct in stating that the three subatomic particles forms everything, we have to understand that he is simplifying chemistry. There are things in this universe that may or may not consist of these things – but that’s for another article.
What Hank implies that the three subatomic particles form visible matter, that stuff you see listed on the periodic table of elements. And yes, all of them are made of varying numbers of protons, with varying number of electrons and neutrons to form differing ions and isotopes of those elements.
The number of protons in an atom determines what element it is, which is why this number (called the atomic number) features prominently in a periodic table. An atom of one proton makes hydrogen; two makes helium…and so on as we go down the table.
The rule of thumb is that for a given proton, an element consists of the same number of electrons, due to them having opposing charges. However the number of electrons for an element isn’t fixed – but that too is for another article.
This may be a tad confusing, but that’s what chemistry teachers are for!
Note that although Hank is largely correct in stating that the three subatomic particles forms everything, we have to understand that he is simplifying chemistry. There are things in this universe that may or may not consist of these things – but that’s for another article.
What Hank implies that the three subatomic particles form visible matter, that stuff you see listed on the periodic table of elements. And yes, all of them are made of varying numbers of protons, with varying number of electrons and neutrons to form differing ions and isotopes of those elements.
The number of protons in an atom determines what element it is, which is why this number (called the atomic number) features prominently in a periodic table. An atom of one proton makes hydrogen; two makes helium…and so on as we go down the table.
The rule of thumb is that for a given proton, an element consists of the same number of electrons, due to them having opposing charges. However the number of electrons for an element isn’t fixed – but that too is for another article.
This may be a tad confusing, but that’s what chemistry teachers are for!
Not these guys, though...
Note that Hank also mentions that an atom of silver will remain the same “probably forever” due to the difficulty in changing its core number of protons. This is largely true, as silver is a heavy element and may not be subjected to change as easily as, say, hydrogen or helium which does go through change through nuclear fusion every day in the belly of the stars; including our Sun.
Quite some time ago (understatement of the century), a star had fused hydrogen to into helium, and helium into carbon, and so on and so forth until the limits of its stellar pressure couldn't continue the process further. And as the star dies and explode, the force of the nova further fused lighter elements into heavier ones, and as they dispersed to form a new star system, these elements are embedded into the planets that form that system.
One of these new planets may then be locked into orbit at just the right distance from this new star – resulting in it being neither too hot nor too cold, and have an atmosphere rich in hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon granted by the now long-dead star.
In time, this new planet may have a moist surface as the hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water, with carbon to form methane, and with nitrogen to form ammonia – the precursors of life on Earth.
Quite some time ago (understatement of the century), a star had fused hydrogen to into helium, and helium into carbon, and so on and so forth until the limits of its stellar pressure couldn't continue the process further. And as the star dies and explode, the force of the nova further fused lighter elements into heavier ones, and as they dispersed to form a new star system, these elements are embedded into the planets that form that system.
One of these new planets may then be locked into orbit at just the right distance from this new star – resulting in it being neither too hot nor too cold, and have an atmosphere rich in hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon granted by the now long-dead star.
In time, this new planet may have a moist surface as the hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water, with carbon to form methane, and with nitrogen to form ammonia – the precursors of life on Earth.
Ponder this
If everything can be derived from mere arrangements of protons, neutrons and electrons, what would this imply in terms of human life?
As organic compounds, the building blocks of life, are merely arrangements of inorganic elements would this not make artificial life possible?
Cloning of complex life is already a reality, is it not only natural for us to stop being mere copiers and start being creators?
Discuss
If the universe had come together in a gradual process of creation and destruction - stars born and died - which yielded all the elements required to support life, how is this related to the field of biology and complex life on Earth?
Further readings
Atomic nucleus, at the Chemistry Encyclopedia
Components of the Nucleus, at the ChemiWiki
Cosmic Evolution - From Big Bang to Humankind, a very good site explaining the evolution of the universe, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
