What is it about, let’s say arsenic atoms, that makes it so much more deadly than gold for example. And please expand this to molecules too.
In: Chemistry
Is your question, “what’s the difference between different types of atoms/molecules”, or “what makes certain atoms/molecules more dangerous than other atoms/molecules”? I’ll answer the former and then the latter.
Atoms are lego bricks; they vary in size and shape because of the shape and amount of plastic used to create it (in this metaphor, subatomic particles are collectively the plastic). Molecules are then all the different ways you can arrange your lego bricks. Certainly you can imagine that some individual lego bricks *have the potential* to cause more harm than others (eg that one tiny brick that’s a bit broken so it always falls off and gets stepped on), and certain lego-built items are more dangerous than others (something with rounded edges VS a lego sword or something).
In either case, it’s not the atom/molecule/lego brick/lego house that is dangerous on its own, it’s the *effect it has on other things* that makes it dangerous.
Now imagine you have two lego-built items: a firmly packed ball and a giant messy cluster with sharp pieces all over the place and pieces falling off everywhere.
Also imagine that all living things are created out of legos as well.
Imagine that you, a giant lego person, are tasked with eating one of your two lego items. You must choose between the compact ball or the cluster of sharp, loose bricks.
You, an intellectual, realizing you are made of lego bricks, realize that if you eat the loose cluster, a brick may get loose and get lost somewhere in your body. Even worse, it may *stick to one of your inner-body legos*, causing who knows what damage. Even WORSE, it may stick to one of your inner legos, and *stick so strongly that when your body goes to dislodge it, a bunch of your own inner legos are dislodged with it*. So you opt for the compact ball, and it passes though you without displacing any of your inner legos. Phew!
Now imagine you are given the same choice again, but instead of you eating it, it is your dear pet Blorb. Blorb is a strange creature who is also made of of legos, but he’s kind of a cluster of legos himself. His insides are all basically loose legos, and his lego systems are specially arranged to deal with small loose particles floating around. But while his body handles loose clusters well, larger solid objects tend to shove all of his inner legos around, messing up the arrangement and making him very sick. So for Blorb, you elect to have him eat the loose cluster, and he lives. Phew!
This is a very ELI5 version of why certain chemicals are dangerous to certain things. All legos have the ability to affect other legos, and certain lego arrangements can be especially suited to handle certain shapes while other shapes may destroy everything.
Same with atoms and molecules, and everything built up from that. Drinking water is necessary for survival, but injecting a bunch of water directly into your veins can cause your blood cells to absorb the water and explode, killing you. Eating chocolate is great but feeding chocolate to a dog will make them very sick. It all boils down to your inside legos reacting to outside legos in ways that cause harm.
Hopefully this is ELI5 enough but still a reasonably accurate metaphor. Also I’m not a chemist so all corrections are welcome!
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