Why does the amount of protons in an element wildly change its properties? For example: why is two protons a gas, but suddenly three protons is a metallic solid?
In: 109
The number of protons determines the number of electrons, which controls the chemical behavior.
Helium has two electrons. They behave like teenage lovers. So focused on each other that they don’t even notice anyone else.
Lithium has 3. Theres nothing so unstable as a third wheel. They really need to find a partner for the #3. Then they’ll be a stable pair of couples. Failing that, they’ll ditch the third wheel and just be a pair again.
The metaphor starts getting strained after that.
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