What would happen if an electron touches a proton?

The electron starts as a regular atomic electron, with its wavefunction spreading through the atom and overlapping with the nucleus. In time, the electron reacts with the proton via its overlapping portion, collapses to a point in the nucleus, and disappears as it becomes part of the new neutron.

What happens if a proton and electron come close together?

That is, a proton and an electron will attract each other. The closer they are together, the stronger this attraction will be. Two protons (or two electrons) will repel each other. And again, the closer together they are, the stronger the repulsion.

What happens when an electron gets closer to the nucleus?

Viewed simply, electrons are arranged in shells around an atom’s nucleus. Electrons closest to the nucleus will have the lowest energy. Electrons further away from the nucleus will have higher energy. In a more realistic model, electrons move in atomic orbitals, or subshells.

Are electrons positively or negatively charged?

Protons and Electrons A proton carries a positive charge (+) and an electron carries a negative charge (-), so the atoms of elements are neutral, all the positive charges canceling out all the negative charges. Atoms differ from one another in the number of protons, neutrons and electrons they contain.

What happens when two protons hit each other?

In most proton collisions the quarks and gluons inside the two protons interact to form a wide array of low-energy, ordinary particles. Occasionally, heavier particles are produced, or energetic particles paired with their anti-particles. Very occasionally, these collisions produce new particles for us to find.

How does proton attract electron?

Protons and electrons stick to each other as much as they can, but kinetic energy and quantum mechanics keep them from holding still. Protons and electrons are attracted to each other because the positive electric charge of the proton is attracted to the negative charge of the electron.

Does the attraction get stronger as an electron gets closer to the nucleus?

As an electron gets closer to the nucleus the (attraction/repulsion) to the nucleus gets (strongery weaker). For an electron to move from an energy level close to the nucleus to an energy level far from the nucleus it would need to gain lose) energy.

What happens if you collide electrons?

When an electron collides with an atom or ion, there is a small probability that the electron kicks out another electron, leaving the ion in the next highest charge state (charge q increased by +1). This is called electron-impact ionization and is the dominant process by which atoms and ions become more highly charged.

What happens when 2 atoms touch?

When two atoms touch i.e, their outer orbits come near each other then generally they share their electrons to form bonding and acquire a more stable state. In case of physical touching which is generally not possible as the outer shell electrons repel each other.

Would life be different if the electron were positively charged and the proton were negatively charged?

Life would be no different if electrons were positively charged and protons were negatively charged. Opposite charges would still attract, and like charges would still repel. The designation of charges as positive and negative is merely a definition.

How do electrons and protons stay glued to each other?

$\\begingroup$Electron and proton never stay “glued” to each other. They can scatter (products of the collision flying away), or they form a hydrogen atom. Alternatively the electron can be captured, but after a capture the electron and proton do not exist enymore: there is a neutron and a neutrino.$\\endgroup$

How does an electron escape from a proton?

If no other particles are involved, an electron never escapes from a proton, instead you just form Rydberg atoms of larger and larger diameter (and lower energy quanta between shells.) google.com/search?q=rydberg+orbital$\\endgroup$ – wbeaty Apr 12 ’14 at 23:36

Does an electron ever touch a proton?

Dear Kelly! In subatomic dimensions it is not at all clear what is meant when we say `an electron touches a proton’. Electrons and protons are very much unlike little pinheads bouncing around – they behave wave-like, i.e. they can go around corners, interfere with each other like water waves etc.

Why doesn’t an electron go all the way to the ground state?

When an electron falls from infinity towards a proton it acquires 13.6 electron Volts of energy to reach the ground state “orbital” around the proton. I have always wondered why it does not go all the way. Apparently, its Debroglie wavelength has to fit” around the “orbit radius” for it to occupy a stable state.