Why nuclei are unstable

Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. 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. Unstable Nuclei. Too many neutrons or protons upset this balance disrupting the binding energy from the strong nuclear forces making the nucleus unstable. An unstable nucleus tries to achieve a balanced state by given off a neutron or proton and this is done via radioactive decay.

Radioactive decay occurs because a nuclei is unstable. It emits alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays to become more stable. The reason nuclei become heavy with increasing atomic number is because there steadily necessary amount of neutrons needed to stabilize the protons.

Because of these two factors the nucleus begins to grow unstable and, eventually, break apart. How do you know if an element is stable?

The principal factor for determining whether a nucleus is stable is the neutron to proton ratio. Which element has an AR value of 16? Atomic Weight Sym.

What causes an atom to emit radiation? Electromagnetic radiation is made when an atom absorbs energy. The absorbed energy causes one or more electrons to change their locale within the atom. When the electron returns to its original position, an electromagnetic wave is produced.

These electrons in these atoms are then in a high energy state. The balance of protons and neutrons in a nucleus determines whether a nucleus will be stable or unstable. Too many neutrons or protons can upset this balance making the nucleus unstable. Elements with fewer protons, such as the ones near the top of the periodic table, are stable if they have the same number of neutrons and protons. For example carbon, carbon is stable and has six protons and six neutrons.

However as the number of protons increases, more neutrons are needed to keep the nucleus stable. Alpha rays are the weakest and can be blocked by human skin and gamma rays are the strongest and only dense elements like lead can block them. In nuclear physics and particle physics, the weak interaction, which is also often called the weak force or weak nuclear force, is the mechanism of interaction between subatomic particles that is responsible for the radioactive decay of atoms.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Social studies Why are the nuclei of some elements unstable? Social studies. Ben Davis October 21, Why are the nuclei of some elements unstable? Why are some nuclei radioactive? Are all nuclei radioactive?

How can you tell if a nucleus is radioactive? What force holds the nucleus together?