Table of Contents
How are unstable atoms created?
When the atoms of an element have extra neutrons or protons it creates extra energy in the nucleus and causes the atom to become unbalanced or unstable. Whether radioactive elements can become stable and if so, how. The unstable nucleus of radioactive atoms emit radiation. This process is called radioactive decay.
What is the most unstable atom?
Characteristics. Francium is one of the most unstable of the naturally occurring elements: its longest-lived isotope, francium-223, has a half-life of only 22 minutes.
What types of atoms are unstable?
Different Kinds of Atoms An atom can be considered unstable in one of two ways. If it picks up or loses an electron, it becomes electrically charged and highly reactive. Such electrically charged atoms are known as ions. Instability can also occur in the nucleus when the number of protons and neutrons is unbalanced.
Who explain the stability of atom?
Stability of an atom was successfully explained by Rutherford’s atomic model.
What is a stable atom?
An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. Instability of an atom’s nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons.
Is oxygen stable or unstable?
One oxygen atom is unstable since it has only 6 electrons in the outermost shell. For an atom to be stable it needs 8 electrons. So, for the oxygen atom to be stable it requires two more electrons in the valence shell.
How can you tell if an atom is stable or unstable?
Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy.
What are the unstable elements?
Another notable example is the only naturally occurring isotope of bismuth, bismuth-209, which has been predicted to be unstable with a very long half-life, but has been observed to decay….Tables.
| Element | xenon |
|---|---|
| unstable in italics odd neutron number in pink | 132 Xe |
| 129 Xe | |
| 131 Xe | |
| 134 Xe |
What is meant by stable atoms?
A stable atom is an atom that has enough binding energy to hold the nucleus together permanently. An unstable atom does not have enough binding energy to hold the nucleus together permanently and is called a radioactive atom.
Why are atoms unstable?
What determines whether an atom is stable or unstable?
An atom is stable because of a balanced nucleus that does not contain excess energy. If the forces between the protons and the neutrons in the nucleus are unbalanced, then the atom is unstable. Stable atoms retain their form indefinitely, while unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay.
What happens to a nucleus of an unstable atom?
Nuclear decay occurs when the nucleus of an atom is unstable and spontaneously emits energy in the form of radiation. The result is that the nucleus changes into the nucleus of one or more other elements. These daughter nuclei have a lower mass and are more stable (lower in energy) than the parent nucleus.
What is an atom with an unstable nucleus called?
The isotopes of radioactive nuclei are referred to as radioisotopes. An unstable nucleus tries to return to a balanced state by giving off a proton or neutron in a process called radioactive decay. During this radioactive decay, atoms release their excess energy in a process called ionization radiation.
What kind of atoms typically have unstable nuclei?
Atoms with very low atomic numbers have about the same number of neutrons and protons; as Z gets larger, however, stable nuclei will have more neutrons than protons. Nuclei with more than 83 protons are all unstable, and will eventually break up into smaller pieces; this is known as radioactivity.