An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. Instability of an atom's nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons.
What is meant by stability of atom?
What do you mean by stability of atom Class 9?
Stability of an atom means that the electrons and protons cancel out the effect of each other and they don't collapse or become reactive under the action of certain forces. It enables the normal functioning of atom that is the movement of electrons outside and protons and neutrons inside the nucleus.
Who explain the stability of atom?
Stability of an atom was successfully explained by Rutherford's atomic model.
How do you determine the stability of an atom?
The principal factor for determining whether a nucleus is stable is the neutron to proton ratio. Elements with (Z<20) are lighter and these elements' nuclei and have a ratio of 1:1 and prefer to have the same amount of protons and neutrons.
How Bohr explain stability of atom?
Niels Bohr explained the stability of the atoms through the concept of revolution of electrons in different energy levels. The change in the energy of an electron occurs when it jumps from a lower energy level to a higher energy level or vice versa. … In this way, energy is not lost and the atom remains stable.
What are the two rules of stability of an atom?
If the forces of electrons and protons are balanced, then it is called the stability of atoms. If the electrons in the outermost shell are filled completely or partially then it is regarded as stable, while if it filled less than half then the atom is unstable.
What is an example of a stable atom?
Most atoms are stable; a carbon-12 atom for example remains a carbon-12 atom forever, and an oxygen-16 atom remains an oxygen-16 atom forever, but certain atoms eventually disintegrate into a totally new atom. These atoms are said to be 'unstable' or 'radioactive'. … This is called 'radioactive decay'.
How do atoms become stable?
Many atoms become stable when their valence shell is filled with electrons or when they satisfy the octet rule (by having eight valence electrons). If atoms don't have this arrangement, they'll want to reach it by gaining, losing, or sharing electrons via bonds.
What does stable mean in chemistry?
In materials science, a chemical substance is said to be stable if it is not particularly reactive in the environment or during normal use, and retains its useful properties on the timescale of its expected usefulness.