Anything goes in The Snug, General Discussion's rebellious little brother. An off-topic den of iniquity where any subject not covered elsewhere may be discussed. Well, anything except golf, Star Wars and Arsenal.
DasNutNock wrote:Aye, quantum mechanics are way off my chart. I read Electronic & Electrical Engineering, and there was only the briefest of references to any of that weird sh*t.
it's not the end of the world, no one understands quantum mechanics anyway (cit.).
i think i can give a (very) rough idea though
sendô wrote:
The reason that heavier elements are so rare is that it takes even higher levels of heat and pressure to create them, levels that are generally not even present in most regular stars and need supernovae to create them (gold for instance).
Lead isn't that rare is it? Swans are full of it apparently.
Two protons collide to form deuterium, which then combines with another proton to form a light isotope of lithium (not beryllium). Two light lithium isotopes then combine to form a nucleus of helium, emitting two protons and a tiny bit of energy in the process. The protons continue the process, the energy keeps us warm.
In stars considerably more massive than the Sun, the process continues further up the scale. Two heliums form beryllium (and confused me), beryllium and helium form carbon, carbon and helium form oxygen and so on up to magnesium.
Th reason fusion requires incredibly high temperatures is because of the electrical force. Protons have a positive charge and as we know, like charges repel. At nuclear distances, protons repel each other with great force. The only way this force can be overcome sufficiently to allow the strong nuclear force (holds the nucleus together, acts at very short range) to dominate is to fire the protons at each other at extremely high speeds, this is equivalent to extremely high temperature.
As an example (Freewheeling's post), if a hydrogen atom were to be increased to the same size as St. Paul's cathedral, the nucleus would be about the size of a grain of sand at its centre. The electron would be orbiting around the brickwork, too small to see.
Someone also worked out that if all the 'empty' space (atoms are 99.999999999999% empty space) inside atoms were eliminated by squashing all the particles together (impossible but let's assume for the sake of the demonstration) without any space between them, the entire human race would occupy the space of a sugar cube.
Johnny Byrne's Boots wrote:(impossible but let's assume for the sake of the demonstration) without any space between them, the entire human race would occupy the space of a sugar cube.
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black hole ? :lol: or would the relative space be the same and everything within the atom compressed ?
That is correct, but Smith is common due to he number of types of 'smith' as a job. Most people back in the day worked making something or other. Nowadays the most common surname would probably be benefit-scrounging-c***. Triple barrelled of course.
