Could a black hole possibly be a giant atom?

[samblohm]

It may sound stupid but is it possible that the force of gravity in a black hole is strong enough to nuclear fuse all of the atoms in a black hole? I am won't understand anything complex so try to keep it as simple as possible. (also, how do you calculate mass? I don't understand the equation for it so could you try to explain it with examples?)

 

[mathman]

What happens inside a black hole is an open question. General relativity has everything collapsing to a single point (singularity). Quantum theory says such a thing can't happen. Maybe string theory or some other unified theory will resolve this contradiction, but as of now, no one knows for sure.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Nuclear fusing all the atoms will form a neutron star. Such things exist and they are stable, although they are nothing like atoms. Black holes go far beyond that.