What is the lifespan of an atom?

Question

How long before it deteriorates?

I found a figure of 10^25 years.

Here is the website where I got the figure above: http://education.jlab.org/qa/radelement_03.html

Answer 1

Provided the nucleus at the center of the atom is a stable isotope, and provided the atom is subject to no external factors (such as a sufficiently strong electric field, or a sufficiently high temperature) that could cause some of its electrons to be removed, then the atom will not deteriorate.

I suspect the number you quote is an experimental lower limit on the lifetime of protons (which atoms possess in their nuclei, of course). Yet that is merely an experimental lower limit. For all we know, protons might be entirely stable.

Answer 2

If the huge Bang concept is used to describe the creation of the universe, then the formation of atoms began as quickly as the temperature dropped low adequate that the sub atomic debris would desire to form a marvelous atom. An atom of the ingredient of Hydrogen is shaped. whilst adequate hydrogen atoms are jointly to form a action picture star, the technique of the action picture star utilising hydrogen as a gasoline makes the atoms of the heaver aspects. The stuff in the atoms are as previous because of fact the universe. some atoms are as previous because of fact the universe and a few atoms are as previous because of fact the existence of a action picture star, or various stars. some atoms are greater good that others. volatile atoms have a half-existence, which shows the cost at which it differences from one form of atom, to a distinctive counting on the way it decays. It gets complicated enormously speedy. Atoms are in contrast to tiny suns. whilst scientist have been first imagining how electrons are placed around the nucleus, they used the planet/solar as a conceptual variety. The greater the scientist come across with regard to the atom, the greater they comprehend how distinctive fact is over their first basic variety.

Answer 3

Heavy atoms may decay spontaneously and convert into other elements.
I don't see how an Hydrogen atom can deteriorate, unless bombarded.
Maybe I studied such things too many years ago!

Answer 4

its not necessarily the atom that dies its the rate of decay of a quark within a proton or neutron ..... which then just changes the chemical structure of you atom changing it in a minor way since there are hundreds of quarks theoretically. ( pi gamma, alpha theres so many they started running out of greek letters and english letters leading to roman letters.) lol

Answer 5

That depends on the atom.

Some elements have very short decay times (i.e. transuranic elements), while other have very long ones. It also depends on the isotope, for instance C14 has a shorter lifespan than C12..

Answer 6

It was thought that protons would disintegrate in 10^31 years. But that was found to be false. ~

Answer 7

Atoms do not deteriorate on their own really. Its the smallest unit of a substance. "Atomos" in Greek means indivisible or un-cuttable.

Splitting atoms is possible but it requires a lot of energy.