eli5: On an atomic level, how does an atom ‘know’ it belongs to (for example) a sheet of paper but not the sheet of paper below it. Also how do scissors interact with the paper on an atomic level to cut it into two pieces.
In: Physics
To create a bond between atoms you need to put energy into the system. Paper consists of molecules that are formed through some process that uses energy to bind atoms. In a tree, this energy is stored through photosynthesis for example – which utilizes the energy of sunlight to create carbohydrate molecules. Breaking a bond releases energy – that is what happens when you burn things for example. It’s also why your body ‘burns’ sugar – the energy released from breaking bonds in a sugar molecule is what powers the rest of your body. However, if you put two sheets of paper on top of eachother, the atoms don’t interact with eachother much, because you are not putting energy into the system, so they cannot ‘fuse’ so to speak. So the atoms don’t ‘know’ that they are part of any particular sheet of paper, but they necessarily have to remain bonded to the other atoms that are part of the sheet of paper, because they are ‘energetically bonded’ to them in a way.
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