Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> >   If the repulsive force of the photons produced by electrons is so strong
> > as to completely forbid two atoms from passing through each other, why are
> > the electrons in one atom exempt from this same repulsion force?

> Because they're also exchanging photons with the protons. The protons have 
> an opposite charge, which means they basically move in the opposite 
> direction (of how an electron would move) when they absorb or emit a photon, 
> and this causes the electrons to move closer to the proton instead of 
> farther away. So the electrons are pushing each other apart, but the protons 
> are pulling them closer, so the more protons, the more electrons it'll hold 
> onto. Then you can look at the periodic table and see how the "holes" and 
> "overages" of ionic behavior follow.

  So this is the reason why when you shoot a lone neutron towards an object,
it will (usually) go right through as if there was nothing there (except in
the odd cases where it just happens to collide with a nucleus, as there are
quite many of them there, in which case it's deviated or even reflected),
because neutrons are electromagnetically neutral and thus don't interact
with the electrons and protons? Moreso with neutrinos, which are like
neutrons but a lot smaller (so a lot less chances of colliding with
something in there).

  Btw, I don't remember now what happens if you shoot a lone proton towards
an object. As it's electrically charged, it ought to interact with the
object immediately, if I understand correctly. But what happens?

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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