I was going to say there shouldn't be any attractive forces from the nuclei if the atom is neutral, otherwise it wouldn't be neutral, but then I realized it's more complicated then that, especially when considering that the electrons form a cloud around and away from the nuclei rather than just...
I appreciate everyone's responses. The way I'm seeing it is just that there is an overall net force repelling electrons from each other. It shakes my understanding of physics to think that this net force is just ignored. Is it that the electrons configure so the forces are at an equilibrium? And...
So it depends on a few things. If the extra electrons are used in metallic bonds, then I would assume they would discharge instantly in a vacuum. However if they are integrated into the atom's electron shell, it would require energy to take it out of the atom? Overall there is still a net force...
Thanks for your response but it doesn't seem correct to me. How is a vacuum an insulator? What is stopping these charges from repelling each other off the atoms? The only net force present is the repulsion force between the charges. I know textbooks define a vacuum as an ideal insulator, but to...
It's my understanding that matter holds charge on Earth from the insulation of the atmosphere, since the atmosphere is a bad conductor and essentially blocks current due to the gaseous molecules' atomic structure and their covalent bonds. Does this mean it's impossible for matter to hold charge...