Atoms?????

Question

What makes an atom stable ?

Answer 1

Four fundamental forces of nature:
Electromagnetism
Strong nuclear force
Weak nuclear force
and [the weakest] gravity.

Electromagnetism - opposite charges attract, this is why electrons and protons stay together.
weak nuclear force - overcomes the electromagnetism trying to make the electrons collapse into the nucleus filled with attractive protons.
strong nuclear force - helps the neutrons [neutral charged] hold together the like charged protons, overcoming the fact that like charges repel

the mass of an atom and its constituent parts is so small that gravity is not a factor at all.

the stability of an atom is partly a result of the fact that the number of electrons and protons always equal each other thus giving an atom an overall neutral charge.

For the reason why atoms join with certain other atoms to form molecules [such as water being two hydrogen and one oxygen] that deals with things like valence electrons, but that doesn't appear to be within the scope of this question, so it can be left for another day.

Answer 2

A proton and an electron have exactly the same electric charge, but opposite, so their charges cancel each other out. Electrons form shells around protons, joined together like the south pole of a magnet attracts the south side. However, the wavelengh of the electron keeps it from "sticking" to the proton, forming a neutron instead of an atom. Electrons can form many shells around a proton, depending on the number of electrons. The farther a shell is from the proton, the higher the energy of the electron, but it only does this if the inner shells are already filled with electrons (usually, or else for not very long).

Answer 3

the nucleus of an atom is several times larger than the electron to hold it in it's orbit by atomic gravity, and the electron moves so fast that very few things can get in it's orbit.

Answer 4

Depends if you mean chemical or nuclear stability. Chemical would be based on whether or not the outermost valence level is full of electrons. Nuclear would depend on proton to neutron ratio (isotopes).

Answer 5

A good frying pan