Lobstrosity

Correct. Heat imparts kinetic energy to molecules which in turn can overcome binding energy. Collisions can also transfer energy to electrons, bumping them up to higher orbitals or liberating them completely (depending on the energy imparted). This is the basis for blackbody radiation.

Yes, I would imagine so. Neutron stars fend off gravitational collapse via fermion pressure. They are essentially one giant atomic nucleus held together by gravity rather than the strong force. If you go beyond this stage by introducing more mass, gravity can overcome even the fermion pressure and implode the object into a black hole.

Baloo

Just to nitpick... blackbody radiation doesn't occur because electrons are liberated (which sounds more like the photoelectric effect, where sufficiently energetic photons zap electrons right off of their metallic atoms). Blackbody radiation occurs when metal is heated, and the electrons in the metal are energized to a high energy states, then emit that energy in the form of light (more specifically, electromagnetic radiation that happes to fall inour visual spectrum) as they "fall" back to their ground state.

Lobstrosity

Right, I didn't mean to imply that liberation had to do with blackbody radiation. Indeed liberation of electrons should be impossible in a perfect blackbody, if I recall correctly. I was just lazy in the way I phrased my previous statement.

CuriosityKills

Originally posted by nermal...

Noble gases don't bond readily, but there are many noble gas compounds. they were formerly called 'Inert' gases prior to the first synthesis of a Noble gas compound.

As far as I know. There is no way available to balance an atom's electrical charge making it electrically neutral and therefore isolating its ability to bond with other atoms or molecules. As in the case of the Noble gases, even though they electrically have a neutral charge, there is still the possibility of bonding these atoms with other atoms.

In science you can't make something impossible, something may appear impossible. The reality is that there is always the possibility that you will make a discovery that does away with your prior assumptions. Like the assumption I made about not being able to make a lone cation or anion electrically neutral.

Seraphim

by Wounded King

It would depend what molecule in particular you were targetting. UV light can break molecular bonds in DNA, which is why it can cause cancer if you sunbathe too much. Heat can break a lot of molecular bonds. Lots of chemicals such as strong acids and alkalis can break molecular bonds as can enzymatic activity. Large enough molecules can be susceptible to mechanical disruption.

Cells can certainly be disrupted mechanically and mechanical force can obviously disrupt crystalline structures.

So heat (in form of UV, chemicals etc) is main player in this process. OK, Understood.

Your anime example sounds like the idea that if you can find the right vibrational frequency you can disrupt any form of matter.

Vibration ... sound. Damn ... forgot that sound is energy as well.
I remember hearing from one of the shows from TechTV that sonar (which is invisible to human ears could sound like a bomb blast to other creatures like Whales and Dolphins). Worth looking into. Thanks.


by nermal

Even this wouldn't neutralize the bonds per se, the inherent electrical charge of the atoms would remain, they would just be different elements and form different bonds with other atoms.

Understood.
The distruption on atomic level would be enough to break the bond momentarily, only to rebound back together because the atoms cannot exist alone.

By greater target density I meant you should have pure fissionable material ie U-235, and so you would not have a molecular compound like salt, or charcoal. You would have an element. Therefore, you would be more likely to hit a fissionable atom with the "bullet" or the thermal neutron.

You still aren't dissolving or neutralizing the capacity of atoms to bond molecularly by splitting them. You are putting enough energy into the atom to break the nuclear bonds, but the fission products will bond with other elements, or themselves.

Understood.
Same as above I see.

nermal

Nope, you misunderstood the question beginning the thread. Water insinuates itself into the Na--Cl bond, thus breaking it. It doesn't negate the ability of the Na and Cl to bond.

Ed

Answerer

LoL, I understand your problem Seraphim because I spend a day thinking about it as well after watching it in the past. In the end, I come to a sad conclusion that it might be just another anime fiction, hahaha. Since that monk is defying Newton's third law by claiming that there is no reaction from the rock if he excuted the second punch immediately at the right time.

NonHomogenized

This sounds like your best bet, to me. If you're trying to break bonds on a molecular level, I suppose you *could* introduce energy by, well, a large diameter laser, or something, or you could find the natural resonance frequency of whatever you're trying to shatter.
I'm sure anyone with a high school physics course under their belt can tell you what happens when you combine two waves of the same frequency and phase. (in case you don't know, you get a wave of the same frequency + phase, but with the amplitudes (volume, so to speak) added together. Repeat until the amplitude is enough energy to break the bonds. Like opera singers shattering glass).


If you're trying to break bonds on the atomic level, I'd have to recommend highly concentrated radiation of some sort, but I don't think you're going to get much of a "shatter" effect like that. More of a "melt".

Seraphim

Answerer

LoL, I understand your problem Seraphim because I spend a day thinking about it as well after watching it in the past. In the end, I come to a sad conclusion that it might be just another anime fiction, hahaha. Since that monk is defying Newton's third law by claiming that there is no reaction from the rock if he excuted the second punch immediately at the right time.

I think he was delivering the force of impact directly into the rock from his fist, and the force of impact itself was the one which shattered the rocks (not break it, just shatter like glass).

I find this Japanese Anime quite entertaining and some of it, especially those which sword fighting sequence is actually achievable (of course you cannot achieve a flaming sword effect ... but the movements itself).

PS : Started to punch the walls in my office now ... fist doesn't hurt so much after the first few days, but I have yet to shatter anything (including my fist)


by NonHomogenized

This sounds like your best bet, to me. If you're trying to break bonds on a molecular level, I suppose you *could* introduce energy by, well, a large diameter laser, or something, or you could find the natural resonance frequency of whatever you're trying to shatter.

Working on it now ... Thanks.

Hmmm ... wondering about something. If this method of shattering molecules and atoms could be mastered in a lab, couldn't it help solve the problems of garbage piling up?

I'm sure anyone with a high school physics course under their belt can tell you what happens when you combine two waves of the same frequency and phase. (in case you don't know, you get a wave of the same frequency + phase, but with the amplitudes (volume, so to speak) added together. Repeat until the amplitude is enough energy to break the bonds. Like opera singers shattering glass).

Which means I just have to keep punching the wall in a proper way till I get it.

If you're trying to break bonds on the atomic level, I'd have to recommend highly concentrated radiation of some sort, but I don't think you're going to get much of a "shatter" effect like that. More of a "melt".

Same as burning something up?

Lobstrosity

No, I did not misunderstand the question. Water does negate the ability of the Na to bond to the Cl. This is precisely why solid NaCl dissolves in water. In the right concentrations, the presence of the dipole molecules of H2O specifically negate the ionic bonding of the NaCl.