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When protons and neutrons join together what do they create?
One of the tendencies of nature is to achieve stability. And a way to go about doing it is by minimizing the energy of a system. When protons and neutrons “combine” to form a nucleus, we notice that the mass of the nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of the constituent nucleons.
When free proton and neutron join to form a nucleus the energy is?
Fusion is when two light nuclei come together to form a cluster of protons and neutrons, which as in the case of fission, rearrange themselves to form a more tighly bound light nucleus, like Helium-4, and a free neutron. Again, some of the original mass is converted into kinetic energy.
What energy holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus?
The strong nuclear force
The strong nuclear force pulls together protons and neutrons in the nucleus. At very small distances only, such as those inside the nucleus, this strong force overcomes the electromagnetic force, and prevents the electrical repulsion of protons from blowing the nucleus apart.
What energy is released when protons and neutrons split?
nuclear fission
The Chain Reaction When a large, fissile atomic nucleus such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239 absorbs a neutron, it may undergo nuclear fission. The nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei, releasing kinetic energy, gamma radiation, and free neutrons.
Are protons attracted to neutrons?
An atom contains protons, neutrons, and electrons. The positively-charged protons repel each other and aren’t electrically attracted or repelled to the neutral neutrons, so you may wonder how the atomic nucleus sticks together and why protons don’t fly off.
Why do protons in a nucleus stay together?
The strong nuclear force pulls together protons and neutrons in the nucleus. At very small distances only, such as those inside the nucleus, this strong force overcomes the electromagnetic force, and prevents the electrical repulsion of protons from blowing the nucleus apart.
Can protons exist outside nucleus?
There is abundant evidence that within stable nuclei that neutron-neutron and proton-proton pairs exist, but there is no evidence of the existence of such pairs outside of nuclei. However free neutron-proton pairs do exist and are called deuterons, the nuclei of heavy hydrogen. The same applies for a proton.
Can you create a proton?
Protons along with electrons and neutrons are the building blocks of atoms. One can obtain a proton by stripping an electron from a hydrogen atom because hydrogen consists of one proton and one electron. This is known as ionization.
What keeps a nucleus together?
The force that holds a nucleus together is the nuclear force, a short-range force between nucleons. At very small separations, the nuclear force is repulsive, keeping the protons and neutrons from getting too close to one another.
Do neutrons hold the nucleus together?
The strong force is the real glue of the nucleus. It first holds the quarks together within protons and neutrons. Being 137 times more powerful than the electromagnetic force, the aptly named strong force also holds the protons and neutrons together within the nucleus, overwhelming their electromagnetic repulsion.