What makes you think electrons, protons or neutrons are 'see-able' things? Why do they have to be? I'm not sure the universe gives a tinker's <snip> if certain people don't believe certain things exist unless they see them.

Well, so now my thoughts have turned. Here follows my reasoning:

If you collide helium nuclei in an accelerator at just the right energy, you will see two sorts of traces in the cloud chamber. Those that go straight and those that follow curved paths. The ones that go straight behave exactly like the theory predicts a neutron will behave. Those that curve behave exactly like the theory predicts a proton will behave.

If you accelerate hydrogen nuclei to a specific voltage and then pass them through a magnetic field of specific strength, they defect exactly the amount that the theory predicts a proton will deflect.

If you accelerate electrons to a specific voltage and then pass them through a magnetic field of a specific strength, they deflect exactly the amount that is predicted for a 'particle' with a mass of 9.10938188 × 10-31 kg. and a charge of -1.

There seems to also be a ton of other evidence which supports the masses, charges and other characteristics of these predicted particles.

However, since they are not visible and wearing little name tags, I propose they cannot actually be electrons, protons and neutrons. They are something else. That they behave exactly like electrons, protons and neutrons is merely and inconvenient fact that just encourages the inventors of the current atomic model.

Pffft... who do they think they are. Thanks for set'n me straight folks.

 

how can we say neutron have no charge

Look at the example above. Any charged particle will be deflected by an electric filed. Since the neutron does not deflect, it show us that it carries no charge.

In addition, the total positive charge in a nucleus changes with the addition or loss of protons. Neutrons make no difference.

 

You got it, Bill. I don't care if you call those particles William, Jack, and Henry. They have certain properties that we know how to predict and work with. I just check back here every once in a while to see if anybody has explained how atoms, the universe, and everything really works.

 

The question of life, the universe and everything? Yes, well I believe that has been answered.

 

Yep. The answer is 288!

 

I had always thought that the accusation of a "scientific denial" attitude being prevalent in people living in certain areas of the USA was more or less an expression of the prejudices of people living in other regions.

The content of this thread suggests to me that it really exists - is it commonly held?

 

I've lived in the "Midwest" (center of the USA), the west coast, and Florida, and I've never heard this phrase, "scientific denial". However, there is some slander against people in the old south, like Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia, as ignorant hicks with too many inter-married cousins. Scientific denial is one of the characteristics of that stereotype, but the slander is much broader than that, in spite of the fact that technology is everywhere and the people adjust to it continuously.

I'm afraid you can find people scattered all over the planet that suffer from scientific denial, but I consider them to be the average scattering of nut-cases that happen in every society. I actually met one once. When I offered to drive him to the airport to see that there are airplanes big enough to carry a piano, he stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and said, "white man's lies". A heady combination of scientific denial and racism! (I'm glad I only met one of them in person.) So, one in 60 years does not indicate to me that scientific denial is a "commonly held" belief.

 

Commonly held beliefs in this part of the country, not the majority, but more common than you think.

• The universe is 65,000 years old, and the light was created on the way.
• Evolution is myth. The dinosaurs were killed off during the great flood.
• We are the ultimate creation in the universe, and the planet is here to do with as we please.

I know there are similar beliefs based on religion elsewhere in this planet. Since these are articles of faith they are not up for discussion, ever. I could come up with more, but I suspect it would get this thread closed.

Funny part is some people are so deep into these beliefs they aren't even really aware their are other belief systems competing with theirs.

 

The discovery of the atom and it's construction is something that puzzles me. I looked up many websites on the subject but none clearly define what i want to know. There are many atomic orbits, atom configurations and so on but how do they know this? They even know the mass of an ELECTRON, how do you calculate the mass of an electron you can't even see!

hi,
as we know half science is based on theory .. these theories is depend on imaginations .... so all were imagine and just learn ...

 

"How to calculate the mass of an electron"

Somebody measured the charge of an electron and the deflection in an electrostatic field is calculated by mass, velocity, charge. This is how deflection in cathode ray oscilloscopes is calculated. In televisions, an electromagnetic field is also used. By strange coincidence, the alleged mas of the electron used for electrostatic deflection also works for electromagnetic deflection!

 

Once you know the charge - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_charge - then the deflection in a uniform electric field shows the mass of the electron.