Another force, so-called weak nuclear force is responsible for radioactive decay. This process is called radioactive decay and it continues until the forces in the nucleus are balanced and stable. Can Unstable Atoms Become Stable?Īs the unstable nucleus attempts to become stable, it emits radiation and changes into a different element as the number of protons changes. Disruption of electrons close to the nucleus can also cause an atom to emit radiation. Any change in the number, the arrangement, or the energy of the nucleons can upset this balance and cause the nucleus to become unstable and create a radioactive atom. The delicate balance of forces among particles keeps the nucleus stable. The strong nuclear force is helped by the presence of neutrons (to help counter the competing or repelling forces of protons) or the exchange of a particle, called a meson. This strong nuclear force is extremely powerful and only extends a very short distance ― about the diameter of a proton or neutron. However, the nucleus is held together by an attractive, so-called strong nuclear force between nucleons: proton-to-proton, neutron-to-neutron and proton-to-neutron. Within the nucleus, electromagnetic forces tend to shove the positively charged protons (and as a result the entire nucleus) apart. Opposite electrical charges of the protons and electrons hold the electrons in orbit around the nucleus of an atom. What Holds the Parts of an Atom Together? The result indicates a carbon atom has 6 neutrons, 6 protons and 6 electrons.
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