can you really split an atom with a hammer and chisel?

Question

and if so would it cause a chain reaction and an explosion or just a meltdown?

Answer 1

No, you cannot split an atom this way. The nuclear forces holding the atom together are far to strong. Remember that when you look at a chisel on an atomic scale the atoms are far apart and you are just trying to cause the atoms in the chisel to get close enough to the "atom to be split" in order to split the nucleus.. electron repulsion would prevent your atoms from getting even close to the nucleus...

When scientists split atoms they accelerate protons or neutrons up to very high speeds and slam them into a dense target and "HOPE" for a collision.

Edit: Just think about what the world would be like if you COULD split an atom with a chisel... every time you used a chisel you would be in danger of creating an explosion.

Answer 2

It depends on what the hammer is made from and what the chisel is.

If your saying just the normal iron and steel ones, then no. Can't be done. You are still working in the macro world as opposed to the atomic world.

To split an atom you need something smaller then the nucleus, usually a neutron. It goes in, the atoms split, a portion of mass is converted into energy, a neutron is ejected and the reaction perpetuates.

You can only cause a chain reaction if enough atoms (a critical amount) are split in the first place.

If your hammer was made of pure uranium (happily ejecting neutrons radioactively), and the chisel was also made of pure uranium, and the two together made up about 75 Kg ish (the two in contact aproximating a sphere of 50 Kg ish) then when contact was made you would achieve critical mass, and an atomic explosion. The first atom bombs used this principle.

Answer 3

not with a steel chisel.

the electrons around the steel in the chisel are repelled so strongly by the electrons around the other material that it cannot get near the nucleus.

this is why neutrons, which do not have an electrical charge are used to split atoms.

if you could make a neutron emitting chisel, for example out of americium-241 with a beryllium plating, it would then split atoms because it emits neutrons.

even then, unless you had assembled a critical mass of fissionable materials, a chain reaction would not take place.

in modern atomic weapons, a tiny "walnut" of beryllium coated americium is placed at the center of the plutonium sphere to insure there are neutrons available when the explosive lens compresses the plutonium into critical mass.

Explosive lens technology is well known, and used daily in the creation of EFP (explosively formed projectile) roadside bombs. The only thing stopping terrorists from making A-bombs is the inaccessibility of plutonium. (a terrorist cell was found to have collected thousands of smoke detectors, presumably to get the americium-241 inside) This is the reason the US is so concerned about foreign operation of nuclear power plants. It is very difficult to operate a power plant without making plutonium as a waste product.

Answer 4

Probably not. But a radioactive isotope will decay its own nucleus in time. Interestingly, the word atom comes from a Greek word atomos, meaning indivisible but we later figured out about the smaller bits of an atom.

Answer 5

Not currently, but maybe in a few years we will all be splitting atoms with chisels. Impossible to tell.

Answer 6

no, my friend is employed abroad trying to split the atom.

Answer 7

Who do you want to be like? - Homer Simpson?

Answer 8

The answer is definitely no.

Answer 9

No

Answer 10

lol i think not