Do Atoms Die or Get Old?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of atoms in relation to destruction and aging, particularly in the context of everyday materials like paper. Participants explore concepts related to chemical processes, atomic integrity, and the fate of atoms when materials are destroyed or transformed.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether atoms "die" or "get old," particularly in the context of materials like paper being destroyed or burned.
  • Another participant asserts that atoms remain intact even when materials are destroyed, suggesting they are merely transformed or relocated, such as being washed away or converted into soil.
  • A different participant clarifies that while chemical processes can rearrange molecules, the individual atoms themselves do not change, and they provide examples of the products of burning paper.
  • It is noted that only radioactive atoms undergo a process of aging through decay.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that atoms themselves do not "die" or "get old" in the conventional sense, but there are varying interpretations of what happens to atoms during processes like burning or destruction. The discussion remains somewhat unresolved regarding the implications of these transformations.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the definitions of "death" and "aging" as they pertain to atoms, as well as the specifics of chemical transformations and the fate of atoms in various processes.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those exploring fundamental concepts in chemistry and physics, particularly regarding atomic theory and the nature of matter.

atomo
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I there,i am new of the forum,
i was wonder if atoms die or get old...
For example,if i drop a piece of paper on the ground in a bit of time it will be destroyed right?by the atmosphere and weather condition,but this mean that the atoms will no be there anymore?that mean that the strong bond between atoms as been tear apart?
I don't understand if everything is created by atoms what happen to them when thing have been destroyed? Also that same piece of paper,if i put it on fire it will become ash,so i just burnt the atoms?thanks guys in advance...
 
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welcome to pf!

welcome, mighty atomo! :biggrin:

no, the atoms in the paper will still be around somewhere …

washed away into the gutter, or eaten by earthworms and converted into soil, etc

and when you burn the paper, you may split the atoms apart from each other, to make new substances, but each individual atom will still be as good as it ever was

the only atoms that get old are the radioactive ones, that eventually decay to something else :wink:
 


Chemical processes, like burning, can tear and rearrange molecules but not atoms. When burn paper, you change the complicated organic molecules into its constituent atoms, Carbon, Oxygen, and Hydrogen, mostly, which then recombine into Carbon, Carbon Dioxide, some Carbon Monoxide, water, etc. The ash is mostly Carbon- Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide are gases that go into the air.
 


Thank you guys for the answer now i can sleep ihhihihihihi
 

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