Name : Nurul Mughniyah Abbas

Class/ ID : ICP Of Chemistry Education/1913442007

ATOMIC NUCLEUS

Characteristics of the Atomic Nucleus

According to Thomson, protons are positively charged particles in the nucleus. The number of
protons present in the nucleus of an atom is known as the atomic number of the element. The
atomic mass is concentrated in the nucleus which consists of protons and neutrons. The mass of
protons and neutrons is almost the same, but they are about 1,836 times heavier than electrons.
The positive charge between the protons causes them to repel each other. A strong nuclear force
holds the protons together. This force is given by the presence of 1 down quark and 2 up quarks in
the proton.
2 1
• Charge on proton = 2 3 + (- 3 ) = 1
• Thus, the proton acquires a positive charge.
An atom contains protons, neutrons, and electron . The nucleus of an atom is made up of protons
and bound neutrons (nucleons). The negatively charged electrons are attracted to the positively
charged protons and fall around the nucleus, like a satellite is attracted to Earth's gravity. Positively
charged protons repel each other and are not electrically attracted or repelled to neutral neutrons,
so you may be wondering how atomic nuclei stick together and why protons don't fly away.
The nucleons in the atomic nucleus interact with each other, the interaction in the nucleus
can be in the form of proton-proton, neutron-neutron, or proton-neutron interactions through an
interaction potential with the system in a bound state. The mass of the atomic nucleus will be
smaller than the mass of protons + mass of neutrons, based on what I read that this happens because
of the missing atomic nucleus mass is called defect mass, but the mass of the defect is converted
into energy which is called nuclear binding energy. The binding energy of a nucleus is the energy
required to break the atomic nucleus into its constituent nucleons (neutrons and protons). In the
nucleus, interactions occur between the constituent nucleons. Electrostatically the nucleons in the
atomic nucleus will try to repel each other. In the nucleus it is known that there is a force that binds
the nucleons in the nucleus which is called the strong force.
Following Heisenberg's idea that interactions within the atomic nucleus (strong
interactions) result from the exchange of the constituent particles of the atomic nucleus, Yukawa
(1935) proposed that there are virtual particles that are exchanged when nucleons interact. The
particle has a mass greater than the mass of the electron, although it is still smaller than the mass
of both protons and neutrons. The presence of these particles can explain the main properties of
the strong interactions that occur in the nucleus. These particles are known as pions (mesons),
which were discovered later in cosmic radiation

Explanation of why protons and neutrons stick together

Based on the references I read that there is a theory called the new virtual particle theory
(pawn) on nucleon interactions to understand nuclear strength. The strong force of this nucleus is
able to unite the particles of the atomic nucleus and is able to withstand the repulsion between
protons. As particles with the same (positive) charge, the protons try to distance themselves from
each other due to the influence of the Coulomb potential between the protons. However at the
maximum distance of the core rmax close together but also do not unite due to the influence of
strong forces. All the protons of the nucleon are tightly bound together under the influence of the
strong force. The strong force is strongly influenced by the number of interacting nucleons, so the
greater the number of particles that make up the nucleus, the stronger the strong force that binds
the nucleus
The explanation for why protons and neutrons stick together is known as the "strong force". The
strong force is also known as the strong interaction force, color force, or strong nuclear force. Style
is much stronger than the electrical repulsion between protons, however, the particles must be
close to each other in order for them to stick together.
 Protons and neutrons are made up of smaller subatomic particles. When proton or neutrons
are close enough to each other, they exchange particles (mesons), binding them together. Once
they are bound, it takes a considerable amount of energy to separate them. In order to add protons
or neutrons, the nucleons must move at high speeds or must be forced together under great
pressure. Although the strong force overcomes electrostatic repulsion, protons do repel each other.
For this reason, it is usually easier to add a neutron to an atom than it is to add a proton. Matter is
composed of atomic nuclei and electrons that are outside the atomic nucleus. Inside the atomic
nucleus, it exists proton and neutrons. Protons and neutrons are actually also composed of even
smaller particles, called quarks, but for the moment we're not talking about these quarks. Protons
have a positive electric charge, and neutrons have no electric charge, aka neutral. We all know that
the same electric charge will repel and different charges will attract. Because of the same electrical
charge, the protons in the nucleus of an atom will repel each other.

Then the question: If they repel, why do protons stick together in the nucleus of an atom?
It turns out, besides the electric force in the atomic nucleus there is also such a thing strong
nuclear force which attract each other. This force is very strong, but its range is very short, which
is about 1 fm (femtometer) or 1/1000000000000000 meter. Between one proton with another
proton will attract each other because of this strong nuclear force. Uniquely, if the distance between
protons is less than 0.7 fm, the protons will repel each other. If the distance is more than 0.7 fm
will attract. If the distance is above 2 fm, this strong nuclear force will decrease in strength
drastically. At distances below 1.7 fm, the strong nuclear force is greater than the electric force
(Coulomb force, repulsion).
Which style is more dominant, depending on the magnitude of each style. If the dominant
force is the strong nuclear force (attraction), then the atomic nucleus will remain intact. The term
is the atom stable. If the dominant force is the electric force (repelling), then the atomic nucleus
will "break". The cool term is atoms will to decay (to decay). Well, apart from protons, there are
still neutrons. Since neutrons have no electrical charge, they don't contribute anything to the
repulsion. But neutrons provide an additional force of attraction. In other words, the presence of
neutrons increases the stability of the atom.
All atomic nuclei must have neutrons, except for the hydrogen atom which consists of only
one proton. Atoms that contain more than one proton must have neutrons. On the other hand, no
atomic nucleus is composed of only neutrons, without protons. Some of the lighter nuclei, such as
oxygen and silicon, have as many protons as neutrons. Larger (and heavier) nuclei have more
neutrons than protons.
Thus it can be concluded that:
1. Neutrons are needed so that protons can "stick", and vice versa, protons are also needed so
that neutrons can "stick" in the atomic nucleus.
2. If the number of protons and neutrons becomes larger, the repulsion of protons must be
compensated by the presence of additional (extra) neutrons.
Well, there is a certain arrangement of atomic nuclei (a certain number of neutrons, a certain
number of protons) that keeps the atomic nucleus stable. If the number of neutrons is greater or
less than that in the stable arrangement, the atomic nucleus decays.

Question :
1. Apa yang terjadi ketika inti atom tidak stabil dan meluruh?
2. Berdasarkan referensi yang saya baca bahwa Elektron dapat masuk ke inti, bila
memiliki energi yang cukup, misalnya dalam reaksi nuklir (reaski inti atom) yang akan
mengubah proton (yang bermuatan positif) menjadi neutron (yang bermuatan netral).
Pertanyaan saya bagaimana reaksi inti atom dapat terjadi dan bagaimana reaksi
tersebut mampu mengubah proton menjadi neutron?