Do Atoms Get Destroyed When Metal Melts?

[waynexk8]

What an Atom in say a lump of steel in melted to molten metal, what happens to the Atoms ? Surely they melt and are destroyed, or do they reform ? As I thought everything was made of Atoms ? Are water and such made of Atoms ?

Wayne

 

[Lsos]

Not much happens to the atoms themselves. It's how they interact with other atoms that determines whether on the macroscopic level the substance is a solid or liquid.

It takes ALOT to destroy an atom.

 

[Drakkith]

EVERYTHING is made up of atoms. Atoms usually bind together in 2 or more to form what's called a Molecule. When something melts the atoms and molecules that make it up have acquired enough energy to break the bonds between them and can move around freely. This is unlike in a solid where they don't have enough energy to to this. This is why things melt and then evaporate as you heat them up. (AKA add energy)

You CAN cause the atoms themselves to come apart into their composite particles, but it takes a much greater amount of energy to do this than it does for them to simply melt or turn into a gas.

Look up more online at wikipedia or google, or invest in a book on basic physics. There are plenty of good ones at any book store. (Not the textbook kinds, but ones that are much better written)

 

[waynexk8]

Hi all,

forgot to say thanks for the answers.

Wayne

 

[pmacias]

, this is a great question and one that has fascinated scientists for centuries. Let's start with the basics - what is an atom? An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element. So, everything that we see around us, including steel and water, is made up of atoms.

Now, when a lump of steel is melted to molten metal, the atoms in the steel do not get destroyed. They simply rearrange and move closer together as the temperature increases. This allows the steel to change from a solid to a liquid state.

Think of it like building blocks - the atoms are like the individual blocks, and when you melt the steel, the blocks are still there but they are able to move and shift around. When the molten metal cools and solidifies, the atoms will rearrange again to form a solid structure.

So, in short, the atoms in a lump of steel do not get destroyed when it is melted - they simply change their arrangement and behavior. This concept applies to water as well, as it is also made up of atoms. When water is heated, the atoms become more energetic and move further apart, causing the water to turn into steam. But the atoms are still there, just in a different state.

I hope this helps to clarify any confusion about atoms and molten metal. As scientists, we are constantly studying and learning more about the behavior of atoms and how they make up the world around us. It is truly fascinating to think about!