If an atom should split in the center of the Earth, would it explode?

Question

I'm starting to learn about atoms and I read that if an atom should split, the substance no longer exists. Does this mean it explodes? And if it does, does that mean that if you split an atom in the Earth that it would explode?

Sorry if these are really dumb questions...

Answer 1

First, look here to understand the fission process.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power1.htm

Second, what makes an atom a particular element, is the number of protons in its nucleus. if an atom undergoes fission, it splits into two or more other nuclei. Each of those nuclei contains protons and therefore is a different element. they aren't simply exploding and vanishing. When fission occurs, energy is released from the atom. if enough atoms undergo fission in a very small space, then a tremendous amount of energy would be released very quickly in that space which would result in an increase in temperature and pressure and could "explode".

Third, atoms in the earth undergo fission all the time. The fission of materials in the earth is what makes the core of our earth "hot".

Answer 2

I think the most important thing to keep in mind when thinking about this is that a single atom is a very very small thing. Even something that looks very small to you, just a tiny speck, will have millions upon millions of atoms in it. If one of those atoms split and then no longer existed it would be such a small change that you would never be able to tell, unless you had some very expensive special measuring equipment.

When an atom naturally splits, it does release some energy. (Also, I should mention that a splitting atom doesn't really cease to exist. It just splits into smaller pieces.) But the amount of energy released by a single atom splitting is very very small compared to anything that you would think of as an "explosion." So again, the only way you would notice a single atom splitting is with some special equipment.

Because the amount of energy released is so small, it wouldn't make the earth explode. In fact, the earth is full of a great variety of atoms, and many types of atoms split on a regular basis with fairly little consequence. This splitting is thought to produce some heat in the core of the earth. It also leads to the low levels of radioactivity that we see all around us. It is only when a very large number of atoms split that any real change could be noted without special equipment.

Answer 3

An atom won't split just like that. When an atom splits it releases an enormous amount of energy... called nuclear fission. That's how nuclear power plants work. Once you change the structure of the atom, it becomes a different substance not necessarily a different element. If you change the number of neutrons you'll end up with different isotopes of the element you started off with. If you alter the number of protons and electrons, then you'll make different elements. Nuclear fusion is opposite of fission. You'll take 2 elements and combine them together to make a new element. This is how our sun and every other star in our universe works. They start off with hydrogen. Two hydrogen atoms combine to form helium. This process keeps on where carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen and other "light" elements are created.

Answer 4

Yes, you can call it an explosion (this is how an atomic bomb works,) but do not worry, nothing like that will happen to the Earth.
If you REALLY want to know about all this, ask your science teacher.
But if you are trying to come up with another question like "If a tree falls and there's nobody to hear,.." then it's silly.

Answer 5

I beleive that does exist and nuclear fusion exist in the core of the earth.

Answer 6

No.