If an atom was scaled up to the size of a sports oval with a diameter of 150m ?

In summary, the size of the nucleus can vary depending on the element, but for a grain of sand with a diameter of 0.1cm, the nucleus would be approximately 1.5 mm in size. This is due to the relationship between the diameter of an atom and its nucleus, which is 100,000 to 1.
  • #1
AHUGEMUSHROOM
22
0
How big would the nucleus be?
A grain of sand (0.1cm diameter)
A marble (1cm diameter)

It's a grain of sand right(?); since the relationship between the diameter of an atom and its nucleus is 100,000 to 1. 150/0.001= 150,000
 
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  • #2
Well, that depends on the element you're looking at. Different elements have different ratios of atomic radius to nuclear radius (as you increase Z, you get different Coulombic forces as you add electrons, not to mention you add electron shells). I don't know the mathematical formula(s) to find atomic radii, as I assume they're fairly complex, my best advice would be to look them up on some table. Nuclear radius goes something like A^(1/3)*r, where A is the mass number (number of protons and neutrons) and r = 1.2*10^(-15)m (the radius of a proton/neutron I believe). This is just derived from the volume and radius relation of a sphere, so this probably doesn't hold as well for smaller values of A (as the nucleus isn't quite so spherical I would think, except for A=1, hydrogen, with no neutrons, as its nucleus is just a proton), but for larger values it should work decently.
 
  • #3
AHUGEMUSHROOM said:
How big would the nucleus be?
A grain of sand (0.1cm diameter)
A marble (1cm diameter)

It's a grain of sand right(?); since the relationship between the diameter of an atom and its nucleus is 100,000 to 1. 150/0.001= 150,000

(150 m) / (100,000) = (1.5 x 102 m)/(1.0 x 105) = 1.5 x 10-3 m = 1.5 mm
 

Related to If an atom was scaled up to the size of a sports oval with a diameter of 150m ?

1. What would be the size of the nucleus of the atom?

If an atom was scaled up to the size of a sports oval with a diameter of 150m, the nucleus of the atom would still be relatively small, measuring only about 1.5mm in diameter. This is because the nucleus contains most of the mass of an atom, but occupies a very small amount of space compared to the overall size of the atom.

2. How would the electron cloud be affected by the increase in size?

If an atom was scaled up to the size of a sports oval with a diameter of 150m, the electron cloud would also increase in size. However, it would still be relatively spread out and not as densely packed as the nucleus. The electrons would also still orbit around the nucleus in the same way.

3. Would the properties of the atom change at this scale?

No, the properties of the atom would not change. The atom would still have the same number of protons, neutrons, and electrons, and therefore would still have the same atomic number and chemical properties. However, the physical size of the atom would change significantly.

4. How does this relate to the scale of the universe?

Scaling up an atom to the size of a sports oval is a useful way to visualize the relative size of atoms compared to the vastness of the universe. It highlights the fact that atoms are incredibly small in comparison to the objects and structures that exist on a cosmic scale.

5. Would gravity play a role in this enlarged atom?

Yes, gravity would still play a role in this enlarged atom. The nucleus, which contains most of the mass, would still have a gravitational pull on the electrons in the electron cloud. However, the overall gravitational force would be very weak due to the small mass of the electrons and the large distance between them and the nucleus.

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