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Beryllium-8

Airmid
in Modern and Theoretical Physics

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Could someone please explain to me why Be-8 is unstable?

I tried to find the answer on the web, but all I could find were references to how unstable it is, and what the consequence of that are.

 

Thanks,

Airmid.

Because He-4 is very tightly bound (filled shell of both neutrons and protons, and only two protons), so splitting into a pair of alphas is a lower energy state.

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Thanks, I think the word "shell" in your reply opened Pandora's box for me. This is what you're talking about, isn't it?

 

Airmid.

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