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| SirOpenSource |
on Thu 29 Sep 11, 4:52 PM to SirOpenSource's blog.
Alpha particles, these being the tiny things that fall off atoms when they start decaying are apparently 100,0000 times smaller than an atom.
Now this is all very well but where did the scientists buy a ruler small enough to measure them?
| 29 Sep 11, 5:32 PM Monkey_Wench UK(B), 20 mths    |
I bet it's one of those thngs they have never seen, but their theory tells them it has to be there.... otherwise the theory doesn't work. Like dark matter, they haven't seen that but it must exist to balance their equations.
Monosyllabic has five syllables. | ||
| 29 Sep 11, 6:23 PM sub55y UK(HA), 15 mths  |
Power corrupts,rulers can usually be bought if you have enough money! | ||
| 29 Sep 11, 6:41 PM Shineecouple UK, 9 yrs |
I'm not certain that you could hold them still enough to measure them.  . | ||
| 29 Sep 11, 7:44 PM SirOpenSource UK(E), 6 yrs    |
Imagine trying to find n Alpha particle that you just dropped on the floor. SOS
The Titter group - for when you don't feel too serious. | ||
| 29 Sep 11, 7:53 PM Trolly 8 mths |
Ooo yes - especially on the carpet you're lying on and with all those cat hairs and probably fleas | ||
| 29 Sep 11, 8:02 PM reservoir_bunny UK, 15 mths |
Would you be able to quote the source of this info please? What atom are you comparing it to? An alpha particle is made up of two protons and two neutrons and as such can be larger than some atoms and smaller than many. Yours chemically pedantically
rb | ||
| 29 Sep 11, 8:14 PM FireWolf UK(WV), 8 mths |
Not once you start taking into account the electron shell(s) - even a hydrogen atom is far bigger than a helium nucleus. Flippin' heck - I haven't thought about that sort of thing since doing Chemical Physics classes at university...
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| 29 Sep 11, 8:47 PM reservoir_bunny UK, 15 mths |
yeah, fair point, just that its usual for me when considering nuclear fission, fusion and decay to think in terms of mass.
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| 30 Sep 11, 4:05 AM Pinderella UK, 2 yrs |
Is a flake of dry skin a million times smaller than the person it falls from, d'you think?? |
