Would an isolated metal atom hover or move randomly at room temperature, as gas molecules do?

Question

If we able to separate an atom from metalic lattice. And leave it independently and way away from the atoms of it's own kind. What would happen? (assuming the metal is very non- reactive)

Answer 1

Ancient Greek Mathematicians worked for years on trying to figure out how to square the circle. It has been proved that the premise of the question was false (in Euclidean geometry); you can not square the circle (find the two integers whose ratio is pi).

The bottom line is that by asking an "impossible" question, you may spend quite a lot of time and energy searching for a non-existant answer. So, define "isolated", define "very non-reactive" and define "hover".
So, let me rephrase your question: Can an atom of an element which interacts strongly with itself (to form the metallic state) be isolated? Answer: it depends on what you mean by "isolated".
We certainly can separate it (using electrical or mechanical forces) from other atoms of its own kind. Q2: but will it interact with other atoms?A2 yes.Q3: hover? A3 "Hover"? Doesn't that presume that the body you're talking about is 1) denser than air and 2) exerting a force to combat gravity??! A3a Or having a force exerted on it? Q3b yes, yes, the air molecules hit it around to keep it aloft! Right? A3b So it DOES interact with the air molecules? But forms no (by your assumptions) covalent bonds even though it was ripped out of a metallic bonding "home"... I guess with a very inert gas atmosphere (helium), its possible. But when it hits the wall of whatever its in it will probably stick, and being so much heavier than Helium it will most likely find its way to the bottom surface. The problem is assuming that something that bonds (metallically) won't have a strong tendency to bond covalently.
Mercury, Hg, a toxic liquid metal at RT, has a very high vapor pressure (using special fluorescent lights you can "see" the mercury vaporizing from the surface of the liquid) and is fairly inert, but doesn't come off of a metal lattice so doesn't quite fit the bill. Anyway, it will bounce around for quite a while before it reacts forming an amalgam or possibly being absorbed into your bloodstream and doing some neurological damage. In general, metals are very reactive with oxygen, and I'm not sure there are any which won't (eventually) react with it unless the atoms find another way to stabilize themselves (say by forming a metal lattice). Also, I'm not sure that Mercury vapor exists as isolated atoms, I seem to recall a paper on this recently... Single atoms react to form a Octet in their valence shell, so outside of the nobel gasses, (not metals at normal pressures and temperatures) single atoms are not stable. But for a while, an atom can and will bounce around. Question: If Xenon is heavier than air (check it!) why isn't there more of it in the troposphere?

Keep on asking the impossible questions!

Answer 2

If I'm correct here, the atom (in a room temperature setting, thus the metal atom would be constant in a solid state) would hover (if not being jostled by the other atoms and molecules in the air around it) as it would not have the proper energy or heat to "move randomly".

Answer 3

I would think a metal atom at room temperature would be in the solid state and act thus; it might be moved around by air currents, since it is so small, but it would more likely behave as a heterogeneous mixture with the gas that it is in, and eventually settle in the absence of air movement. It is possible it could be "aerosolized" but still it would be more dense than the gas surrounding it.

Answer 4

*cracks up* I'd call the ghostbusters. That chick he was dating did the hovering trick too and she turned into a dog. If your laptop starts barking, get the heck out of there! LOL