So, we’re all made out of cells, right? And these cells are really super tiny, so why is it when we accidently cut ourselves, like a papercut or from glass, the sharp edge just doesn’t push the cells to the side?
Further, do those edges push aside out individual atoms too, or somehow have we just been avoiding death via splitting atoms?
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A knife doesn’t split atoms. The force that holds nuclei together is very strong, and cannot be overcome by a knife wielding human.
Knives work on a larger scale, by either pushing molecules apart or by splitting them up. The knife concentrates enough force in a given area to disrupt the molecules the object is made from.
Back to your original question, a knife both cuts cells and pushes them apart. It breaks up the molecules they’re made from, but some will be aligned just right so that the knife is aligned on the boundary and pushes them apart instead of breaking them up.
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