So, chemical elements are distinguished from each other by the number of protons inside their atoms.
But why did these differences come about in the first place? What made chemical elements keep their inherent properties throughout time?
I’m really trying to get behind this natural phenomenon, since any physical change we see in the world is explained by the ability of atoms to attach and detach.
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Ignoring the heavy, unstable elements lower on the table – It is really, really difficult to change one element to another.
In the beginning, there was just hydrogen (1 proton). Helium only exists because the protons in the hydrogen were pushed together (fused) inside a star. Same is true for many of the lighter elements. Others can only be made in supernova explosions.
Once created, these proton configurations are very stable.
Ignoring the heavy, unstable elements lower on the table – It is really, really difficult to change one element to another.
In the beginning, there was just hydrogen (1 proton). Helium only exists because the protons in the hydrogen were pushed together (fused) inside a star. Same is true for many of the lighter elements. Others can only be made in supernova explosions.
Once created, these proton configurations are very stable.
Ignoring the heavy, unstable elements lower on the table – It is really, really difficult to change one element to another.
In the beginning, there was just hydrogen (1 proton). Helium only exists because the protons in the hydrogen were pushed together (fused) inside a star. Same is true for many of the lighter elements. Others can only be made in supernova explosions.
Once created, these proton configurations are very stable.
The chemical properties come from how the electrons in an atom interact with each other and other electrons.
We say that’s a result of how many protons it has because it’s very hard to change that number, but much easier to change the number of electrons.
If you have a hydrogen atom, we can predict how it will interact with other atoms under given conditions. If we add a neutron, it becomes deuterium, or hydrogen-2, but chemically it behaves exactly like hydrogen, but with more mass. It will still make all the same bonds as a normal hydrogen atom.
If we look at all the places an electron can be (its energy states) in a hydrogen atom, they are all exactly the same as a deuterium atom, but if we look at a helium atom, there are 2 protons, so any electrons are going to be held twice as tightly to their atom, so all of the energy states are now different. If we take a neutron away from the helium (making helium-3) all of these energy states stay the same.
Even if we strip the as atom of some of its electrons, or give it some more (make it an ion) those energy states are still in place. An electron can fill those spots even if one isn’t there.
The nucleus basically dictates how the electrons move, but since neutrons have no charge, they can’t have that impact, so that duty falls solely on the protons.
The difference in the number of protons inside chemical elements is due to how these elements were formed in the universe.
In the beginning, after the Big Bang, the universe was made up of hydrogen and helium atoms. Over time, the gravitational forces in space caused these atoms to come together and form stars. Inside these stars, nuclear fusion reactions occurred, which caused the hydrogen atoms to fuse together and form helium atoms. This process also created heavier elements, like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
As the stars aged and eventually died, they expelled these heavier elements into space, which then formed new stars and planets. This is how elements with varying numbers of protons, such as gold, silver, and iron, came to exist in the universe.
So, the inherent properties of elements are determined by the number of protons in their atoms, which determines their atomic structure and how they interact with other elements. This number of protons is a result of the history of the universe and the processes by which elements were formed.
PS: Not sure, if that’s what you asked for.
The chemical properties come from how the electrons in an atom interact with each other and other electrons.
We say that’s a result of how many protons it has because it’s very hard to change that number, but much easier to change the number of electrons.
If you have a hydrogen atom, we can predict how it will interact with other atoms under given conditions. If we add a neutron, it becomes deuterium, or hydrogen-2, but chemically it behaves exactly like hydrogen, but with more mass. It will still make all the same bonds as a normal hydrogen atom.
If we look at all the places an electron can be (its energy states) in a hydrogen atom, they are all exactly the same as a deuterium atom, but if we look at a helium atom, there are 2 protons, so any electrons are going to be held twice as tightly to their atom, so all of the energy states are now different. If we take a neutron away from the helium (making helium-3) all of these energy states stay the same.
Even if we strip the as atom of some of its electrons, or give it some more (make it an ion) those energy states are still in place. An electron can fill those spots even if one isn’t there.
The nucleus basically dictates how the electrons move, but since neutrons have no charge, they can’t have that impact, so that duty falls solely on the protons.
The chemical properties come from how the electrons in an atom interact with each other and other electrons.
We say that’s a result of how many protons it has because it’s very hard to change that number, but much easier to change the number of electrons.
If you have a hydrogen atom, we can predict how it will interact with other atoms under given conditions. If we add a neutron, it becomes deuterium, or hydrogen-2, but chemically it behaves exactly like hydrogen, but with more mass. It will still make all the same bonds as a normal hydrogen atom.
If we look at all the places an electron can be (its energy states) in a hydrogen atom, they are all exactly the same as a deuterium atom, but if we look at a helium atom, there are 2 protons, so any electrons are going to be held twice as tightly to their atom, so all of the energy states are now different. If we take a neutron away from the helium (making helium-3) all of these energy states stay the same.
Even if we strip the as atom of some of its electrons, or give it some more (make it an ion) those energy states are still in place. An electron can fill those spots even if one isn’t there.
The nucleus basically dictates how the electrons move, but since neutrons have no charge, they can’t have that impact, so that duty falls solely on the protons.
The difference in the number of protons inside chemical elements is due to how these elements were formed in the universe.
In the beginning, after the Big Bang, the universe was made up of hydrogen and helium atoms. Over time, the gravitational forces in space caused these atoms to come together and form stars. Inside these stars, nuclear fusion reactions occurred, which caused the hydrogen atoms to fuse together and form helium atoms. This process also created heavier elements, like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
As the stars aged and eventually died, they expelled these heavier elements into space, which then formed new stars and planets. This is how elements with varying numbers of protons, such as gold, silver, and iron, came to exist in the universe.
So, the inherent properties of elements are determined by the number of protons in their atoms, which determines their atomic structure and how they interact with other elements. This number of protons is a result of the history of the universe and the processes by which elements were formed.
PS: Not sure, if that’s what you asked for.
The difference in the number of protons inside chemical elements is due to how these elements were formed in the universe.
In the beginning, after the Big Bang, the universe was made up of hydrogen and helium atoms. Over time, the gravitational forces in space caused these atoms to come together and form stars. Inside these stars, nuclear fusion reactions occurred, which caused the hydrogen atoms to fuse together and form helium atoms. This process also created heavier elements, like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
As the stars aged and eventually died, they expelled these heavier elements into space, which then formed new stars and planets. This is how elements with varying numbers of protons, such as gold, silver, and iron, came to exist in the universe.
So, the inherent properties of elements are determined by the number of protons in their atoms, which determines their atomic structure and how they interact with other elements. This number of protons is a result of the history of the universe and the processes by which elements were formed.
PS: Not sure, if that’s what you asked for.
Hmm I think you may be thinking of molecules while asking about atoms. Yes, atoms are defined by their atomic number (protons) but physical reality as we experience it has more to do with the ways atoms bond with other atoms to create molecules. Most obvious example: oxygen is generally a gas at sea level on planet earth, and so is hydrogen– but when they form the molecule H2O, we get water. Meanwhile the oxygen we breathe from the atmosphere is mostly O2. The tendency of atoms to be attracted to other atoms in particular ways has more to do with their electrons than their protons. Molecules form when atoms are sharing one or more electron. Those molecular bonds vary in strength, but are waaaaaaay easier to break than splitting an atom apart or fusing two atoms together (fission and fusion)!
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