They say everything is made of atoms?

Question

If that's correct, how comes we can't rearange them?

For example. Africa has got a whole lot of sand that they don't really want. What they really want is water.

If sand and water are both made up of atoms, why can't they rearange the sand atoms into water atoms?

I bet nobody's ever thought of that.
See, I've solved the Earth's problems.

Answer 1

your understanding of quantum mechanics underwhelms me, wot a brilliant idea for me though im on it now in my sand pit.

Answer 2

You have stumbled onto the very thing alchemists were trying to do when they attempted to change lead into gold. It's a matter of getting the proton count down or up to the correct number for the desired element. The problem is that a great amount of energy is needed to remove protons. How much? Well, this in essence is how nuclear bombs work. It requires vasts amount of energy in order to attempt what you are suggesting even for a small amount of material. Otherwise, this would have been done a long time ago. What's easier is to just recombine atoms into desired compounds. The problem here is that sand is made of silicone which is not a component of water. So using the sand to make water is not very feasible. The energy would be better spent desalinating the sea water.

Answer 3

Sand is made mostly of silicon dioxide whereas water is dihydrogen monoxide. As such, changing sand atoms to water atoms would require changing silicon to hydrogen. This would involve some sort of nuclear fission that would both be grossly inefficient, energy hungry (the energy generated by the fissioning of atoms would not be enough to equal the energy that would have to be put in to make the fission) and beyond the capabilities of humans for quite some time to come. Even if it could be done, the energy required to do this would be much more than transporting the things around.

Answer 4

It is true that all the substances of everyday experience are composed of atoms. This is significant in that the properties of atoms do not ordinarily change: an oxygen atom remains an oxygen atom forever. Water is composed of oxygen and hydrogen, but sand is composed of oxygen and silicon. So sand cannot be turned into water.

Answer 5

All count number is made up of atoms. So, confident, each and every thing you listed is made up of atoms. yet there are some issues interior the universe that are actually not made up of count number, like photons, and different varieties of power that haven't any mass.

Answer 6

Because the atoms come in different varieties i.e. the elements. A hydrogen atom can't be rearranged to become an iron atom for example.

Answer 7

Sand is made of silicon atoms, water is made of hydrogen and oxygen. Rearranging them doesn't make them change. Besides, the energy needed to rearrange them would be more than the energy needed to bring water and take the sand away.

Answer 8

You are basically alluding to the Creation of matter.
Man can only understand the composition of atoms and their compounds. There are theories about the formation of matter in the Universe.,but none indicates how basic atoms can be created out of a basic substance.

Your idea about creating matter is inovative.
However matter in the Universe exists as set defined structures and cannot be changed by ordinary natural means.
Only our Creator can make Children unto Abraham out of ordinary stones and sand.
Very interesting question.

Answer 9

they are all made up of atoms(quarks actually) although it is very difficult to change one substance into another substance which has different elements.
its probably possible useing radiation but thats a large dangerous way that might not actually possible and is also it may be cheaper to just find another way with less risks

anyway earth has other problems eg global warming

Answer 10

You could say every thing including the atoms we are made of. Is made up from bits of information, it has been suggested that we could perhaps change and delete and send info through the airwaves. But sadly as yet no one knows how to.

Answer 11

What you are talking about is SUB-atomic rearrangement.
Just moving the atoms around will only change the shape or distribution, not the substance.