MadSci Network: Physics |
The basic reason that atoms never actually come in contact with each other is because of magnetic repulsion. If you take two magnets that are both positive or both negative, they repel each other very strongly. This is the same thing that happens to atoms. Both atoms have electrons (-) orbiting the nucleus and these create a negative charge shell around the atom. These shells never come in contact because of the strong repulsion. They never come in contact unless the force is extreemly strong. Just as if you had an extreemly strong person push together the two magnets we spoke of earlier, if you create a force large enough, atoms with overide their repulsion and well compact. This is what happens to create nutron stars and other incredibly dense stars. Keep asking questions! -Marcy LaViollette
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