The structure of the atomic nucleus is one of the most fundamental issues of modern science. Constant experiments in this area have allowed scientists not only to determine with a high degree of accuracy what an atom is, but also to actively use the knowledge gained in various industries and in the creation of the latest weapons.
The question of the structure of everything on the planet has been of interest to scientists since time immemorial. So, even in Ancient Greece, some scientists believed that matter was one and indivisible in its structure, while their opponents insisted that matter was divisible and consisted of the smallest particles - atoms, therefore the properties of various objects differ so much from each other.
A breakthrough in the study of the structure of molecules occurred in the 18th century, when M. V. Lomonosov, L. Lavoisier, D. D alton, A. Avogadro laid the foundations of the atomic-molecular theory, according to which everything in nature consists of molecules, and those, in turn, are made ofindivisible particles - atoms, the interaction of which with each other determines the basic properties of certain substances.
A new stage in the study of the structure of molecules and atoms began at the end of the 19th century, when E. Rutherford and a number of other scientists made discoveries, as a result of which the structure of the atom and the atomic nucleus appeared in a completely new light. So, it turned out that the atom is not an indivisible particle at all, on the contrary, it consists of even smaller components - the nucleus and electrons that move around it in intricate orbits. The general neutrality of the atom led to the conclusion that electrons having a negative charge must be balanced by elements with a positive charge. As it turned out later, such elements really exist: they were called ɑ-particles, or protons.
Modern scientific knowledge suggests that the structure of the atomic nucleus is much more complicated than it seemed even a hundred years ago. So, today it is known that the nucleus of an atom includes not only protons, but also particles that do not have a charge - neutrons. Together, protons and neutrons are called nucleons. Since the mass of a neutron is only 0.14% greater than the mass of a proton, this difference is usually neglected in calculations.
The size of the nucleus is between 10-12 and 10-13 cm. At the same time, despite the fact that more than 95% of the atom's mass is concentrated in the nucleus, the size of the atom itself is one hundred thousand times larger than the size of the nucleus.
Basicquantitative characteristics that characterize the structure of the atomic nucleus can be extracted from the periodic table of D. I. Mendeleev. As you know, the number of protons in the nucleus is equal to the sum of the electrons revolving around it and corresponds to the serial number in the table of elements. In order to find out the number of neutrons, it is necessary to subtract the serial number from the total mass of the element and round up to a whole number. Substances in which the number of protons is the same, but the number of neutrons is different, are called isotopes.
One of the most important questions asked by scientists who studied the structure of the nucleus was the question of the forces that hold protons, because, having the same charge, they must repel. Studies have shown that the distances between protons in the nucleus are so small that repulsion between them simply does not occur. Moreover, the bions, which are located between the protons, contribute to close interaction and the constant attraction of the latter to each other.
The structure of the atomic nucleus is still fraught with many mysteries. Solving them will not only help humanity to better understand the structure of the world, but also make a qualitative breakthrough in science and technology.
