What happens if the neutrons are more than the protons?
Nuclear forces are short range forces are , if no. of proton are greater then number of neutron, then nucleii is not stable and it will decay into more stable daughter nuclei, energy related during this process due to mass defect called binding energy.
What makes an element unstable?
Why some elements are radioactive (unstable). When the atoms of an element have extra neutrons or protons it creates extra energy in the nucleus and causes the atom to become unbalanced or unstable.
How do you know which element is more unstable?
So far we have made a couple of generalisations about the stability of isotopes:
- Elements with atomic number (Z) greater than 82 have no stable isotopes.
- Isotopes of elements with atomic number (Z) less than 20 are likely to be unstable if the neutron to proton ratio is either.
What happens if an element has too many neutrons?
Explanation: If a nucleus is unstable due to too many neutrons, it will undergo Beta decay – this means they become stable by emitting a beta particle. Beta particles are essentially fast moving electrons. To make the atom stable again, one of the neutrons changes into a proton.
Why are larger elements unstable?
Originally Answered: Why do larger atoms become unstable? Because they have excess nuclear energy. This is due to disproportion in number of neutrons and protons, and the nucleus tends to establish balance in the number of these particles, and to fall to lower energy state.
What are unstable elements called?
Unstable isotopes (which are thus radioactive) are called radioisotopes. Some elements, eg uranium, have no stable isotopes. When an atom of a radioisotope decays, it gives off some of its excess energy as radiation in the form of gamma rays or fast-moving sub-atomic particles.
Why is too many neutrons unstable?
In unstable nuclei the strong nuclear forces do not generate enough binding energy to hold the nucleus together permanently. Too many neutrons or protons upset this balance disrupting the binding energy from the strong nuclear forces making the nucleus unstable.
Why does too many neutrons make an atom unstable?
Too many protons (or too few neutrons) in the nucleus result in an imbalance between forces, which leads to nuclear instability. If the attractive interactions due to the strong nuclear force are weaker than the electrostatic repulsions between protons, the nucleus is unstable, and it will eventually decay.