Physics education research, electronic materials, and the musings of Christopher Moore, Ph.D.
Physics education research, electronic materials, and the musings of Christopher Moore, Ph.D.
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Neutrons serve the purpose of seperating the repulsive proton- proton EM interaction. A neutron core keeps protons at a maximum distance from each other
The nucleus is a neutron core.
Mitch Raemsch
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No - doesn't the strong interaction bind together protons and neutrons - regardless of charge. The strong interaction is much stronger than the EM interaction. Mesons are exchanged betwen the nucleons which carry the strong interaction and effectively 'glue' the nucleons together - isn't this right?
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The protons all repel each other to a maximum distance with a neutron core.
Mitch Reamsch
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Mesons have a problem. Some are a combination of matter and antimatter; a quark and an anti quark. These mesons are matter antimatter combinations. This is nonsense.
Mitch Raemsch Twice Nobel Laureate 2008
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Hoof is right.
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You cannot say that electric proton repulsion has no consequence.
Mitch Raemsch
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You are both right. Neutrons serve as "spacers" in the nucleus that provide binding energy (via the strong force) but no additional Coulomb repulsive energy. This is important because a nucleus composed only of protons is unstable. For this reason, heavier and heavier elements require a greater ratio of neutrons to protons to remain stable, because the higher atomic number increases the Coulomb repulsion energy.
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I believe neutrons are the core of the nucleus keeping the protons at maximum distance.
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