Creating Elements

[Thoreau]

Ok, after I long discussion and explaining the chemical process of photosynthesis to a friend the other day, he asked me a question which I don't have an answer for.

Do we have the technology to create or destroy basic elements? I know it sounds like a really simple question but I honestly don't know the answer.

[phlogistician]

Yes. Nuclear reactors do exactly that. Also, we can create helium from alpha particles emitted from radioactive nucleii and electrons.

Nuclear reactors harness the ability of emitted neutrons to trigger an element to split into two others, so we are creating two different elements via fission of another with a larger atomic number, comme ça;



So if that were Uranium 235 being hit by a neutron;

(92)U[235] + (0)n[1] -----> (56)Ba[141] + (36)Kr[92] +3{ (0)n[1] } + energy

() is atomic no. and [] is atomic mass.

We'd have created Barium and Krypton by splitting Uranium.

Also, the atomic number of an element can be increased by treating it with alpha particles;

(13)Al [27]+ (2)He[4] ==> (0)n[1] + (15)P[30]

So here we bombard Aluminium with alpha particles to create phosphorous.

Helium is created naturally by radioactive emission of alpha particles, in fact, all the Helium in our atmosphere has come about this way. Helium is very light, and boils off into space easily, so the only reason we have it present still, is because it's continually made through radioactive decay, and the amount we have in our atmosphere is a balance of it being created and lost.

We can't however make electrons, protons, and neutrons, and assemble them into elements, yet. All we can do is take nucleii as building blocks, and make or break them.

[Thoreau]

Interesting. I always wondered what will happen when we can create complete elements. What happens when the day comes and we can create gold? I imagine it would be illegal first of all.

[Dywyddyr]

What happens when the day comes and we can create gold?

We could now, but it's more expensive to make it than the resulting gold is worth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthes...recious_metals

[phlogistician]

Interesting. I always wondered what will happen when we can create complete elements. What happens when the day comes and we can create gold? I imagine it would be illegal first of all.

I imagine it would be very expensive, and not worth the expense.

I mean, we can create diamonds in the lab, but it hasn't seen a glut of cheap diamonds on the market, and it's a far simpler process making diamonds. Just carbon under pressure, and heat. Bingo, diamonds.

[Thoreau]

We could now, but it's more expensive to make it than the resulting gold is worth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthes...recious_metals

Wow! Simply amazing. Thanks for the link!

[TBodillia]

Interesting. I always wondered what will happen when we can create complete elements. What happens when the day comes and we can create gold? I imagine it would be illegal first of all.

You realize that 21 elements in the periodic table are man made?

http://www.smianalytical.com/periodic-table.html

"Ninety-four elements exist in nature. Element 94 is Plutonium {Pu} . Scientists have spent 60 years creating elements in the lab, registering 21 man made elements so far. ( Element 43: Technetium and Element 61: Promethium are often considered man made, but ultra-low traces of both elements have been found in certain Pitchblende Ores, Pitchblende is a naturally occuring Uranium ore. ) Some of the more recent manufactured elements are so unstable that they disintegrated in milliseconds. Since the sixties, scientists have theorized that around element 114 an "island of stability" will exist. Around this island the half-life of element 114 should be measured in years not milli-seconds."

[Thoreau]

You realize that 21 elements in the periodic table are man made?

http://www.smianalytical.com/periodic-table.html

"Ninety-four elements exist in nature. Element 94 is Plutonium {Pu} . Scientists have spent 60 years creating elements in the lab, registering 21 man made elements so far. ( Element 43: Technetium and Element 61: Promethium are often considered man made, but ultra-low traces of both elements have been found in certain Pitchblende Ores, Pitchblende is a naturally occuring Uranium ore. ) Some of the more recent manufactured elements are so unstable that they disintegrated in milliseconds. Since the sixties, scientists have theorized that around element 114 an "island of stability" will exist. Around this island the half-life of element 114 should be measured in years not milli-seconds."

I didn't know that. My apologies but I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to chemistry. Thank for posting. Love learning new things.

[BigFairy]

But we cannot 'make' elemental hydrogen itself yet, can we?

[kurros]

But we cannot 'make' elemental hydrogen itself yet, can we?

Sure we can. We can crash electrons-positron pairs together hard enough to create protons, which can be collected and paired with some electrons to make hydrogen. Kind of pointless though.

[soullust]

hey how do you produce synthetic THC, i figured it would be a good example for in here ?

[phlogistician]

hey how do you produce synthetic THC, i figured it would be a good example for in here ?

Bad example, the above would be a chemical synthesis, when the topic is nuclear synthesis.

[soullust]

Bad example, the above would be a chemical synthesis, when the topic is nuclear synthesis.

Lmao

[Thoreau]

Bad example, the above would be a chemical synthesis, when the topic is nuclear synthesis.

The proper term would be "nucleosynthesis".

[phlogistician]

The proper term would be "nucleosynthesis".

Yeah, but I didn't want to get too technical with the naming conventions when he made such a basic error!

[PieAreSquared]

i've turned hydrogen into helium before

[soullust]

i've turned hydrogen into helium before

oh nice, at what temperature?

[BigFairy]

by the look of your avatar, you've turned water into wine too

[TBodillia]

Anti-hydrogen has been made in accelerators before. I'm not sure how long it lasted.

Helium has been made, but that was in thermonuclear/hydrogen bombs.