107 Stories About Chemistry
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It all depends on the stability of the different atomic nuclei. In respect to this nuclear chemistry has a quite definite opinion. The nuclei of lightelement isotopes contain almost equal numbers of protons and neutrons. Here these elementary particles form very stable structures. That is why the light nuclei are easier to synthesize. In general, nature tends to create systems of the highest possible stability. They are easier to synthesize but participate less readily in nuclear reactions resulting in nuclei with larger charges. Nuclei of the latter kind contain considerably more neutrons than protons, and therefore nuclei of medium and heavy mass have no very great stability to boast of. They are more subject to the rule of chance, more inclined to change, and are therefore incapable of accumulating in very large quantities. According to the laws of nuclear chemistry the higher the charge on the nuclei, the more difficult such nuclei are to synthesize, and therefore the less of them is formed. The chemical composition of our Earth is like a silent replica, a voiceless reflection of the dynamics of the laws governing the process of origination of the elements. When scientists have learned these laws in full, we shall understand why the different chemical elements differ so widely in abundance.
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