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Nuclear decay. Because the ratio of protons to neutrons deviate from 1:1 as you go down the Periodic Table, elements of higher mass are unstable, and therefore decay into more stable elements.

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When the atoms of one element break down to form another atom?

nuclear decay


When do the atoms of one element break down to form atoms of another element?

Atoms of one element break down to form atoms of another element through the process of nuclear fusion, which occurs in the core of stars during stellar nucleosynthesis. This process involves the combination of atomic nuclei to form heavier elements, releasing energy in the form of light and heat.


What would you get if you break an element into its smallest particles?

Protons and Electrons


Radioactive decay occurs when atoms of an unstable element?

It means that massive nuclei break apart.


When atoms break their old links and form new links with other atoms what has occurred?

when atoms break their old links and form new links with other atoms it is called chemical reaction


What would you get if you could break an element into its smallest particales?

If an element were broken down into its smallest particles, you would get atoms of that element. Each atom is the smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element.


What is it called when atoms break old links and form new ones with other atoms?

when atoms break their old links and form new links with other atoms it is called chemical reaction


Can you break down atoms break them into little pieces?

Yes you can but only scientists know how to make it. It's called an atom bomb. It splits atoms.


Do atoms break by human power or naturally?

Atoms can decay naturally but they are generally broken by human power. Atoms can also break during a collision with another atom in an atomic fission or fusion reaction.


What is the energy required to break a chemical bond and form neutral isolated atoms called?

The energy required to break a chemical bond and form neutral isolated atoms is called bond dissociation energy or bond energy. It represents the amount of energy needed to break a specific chemical bond in a molecule into its isolated atoms.


Do atoms break in reactants?

No. Atoms never, ever break in chemical reactions. Molecules break if you want to see atoms break, look up nuclear reactions


What happens when an element moves from one physical state to another?

When an element moves from one physical state to another, its interatomic interactions change. For example, when a solid melts into a liquid, the bonds holding the atoms in place weaken, allowing them to flow past each other. Similarly, when a liquid vaporizes into a gas, the intermolecular forces break, allowing the particles to move freely in space.