Unstable Element - Science Fiction Help!

[khj512]

Hello to all and any willing to offer me some insight!

 

I'm looking to write a science fiction short story which may spinoff into something larger. However, I've run into an issue with exactly how to explain one of the things in my story. The story revolves around what I am currently calling an unstable element. I, however, am terrible with chemistry and physics, and feel only a general understanding is needed for the story to work.

 

What I'm trying to do is avoid another "radioactive" supernatural (Marvel Comics) or destruction story, and in the story I introduce a newly discovered element that wreaks havoc on the planet. Without divulging too many details (call me paranoid!) here are my questions:

 

Are elements capable of causing reactions (like fire) with other elements without changing their own atomic structure?

- Perhaps this would take place by element 1 fusing with element 2, and then diffusing rapidly with element 1 remaining?

 

If we know an an element's structure, and if it is a stable element, do we know how it will react with other stable elements 100%?

 

 

I'm trying to find an intelligent way to convey this element scientifically. The idea is that this element has somehow made it into our existence, and while it is a very simple element and seems to be predictable in interactions with other elements, occasionally the results end up catastrophic. These results are even demonstrated in labs %99.9 of the time. Is there already a name for this idea? Perhaps this is what radio-activity is and I just don't understand! Or maybe, potentially radioactive.

 

Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated. This element would react to various forms of other elements, such as gas, solid, and liquid.

 

Thanks for the time!

[beefpatty]

Hi khj512,

 

Chemistry is not exactly my area of specialty so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

I think just about every chemical reaction involves only the outer electrons on an atom and doesn't actually affect the nucleus itself. When you say "fuse" and then "diffuse" I think you mean bond as opposed to the actual nuclei fusing together, as is the case in say the Sun. I can't definitively tell you because, as I said, I'm not a chemist but when two elements bond it's because the bound state is usually a lower energy state and is more stable. You wouldn't expect them to rapidly break that bond without an external source of energy.

[khj512]

Thanks for the response! See, I'm still not sure of my terminology either which is why I came here for help. I did suspect that physics might be the wrong science for what I was looking to do, though. Are there any occurances in physics, whether actual or theoretical, that might be in the atmosphere and cause indeterminable reactions? I think fuse and diffuse is what I want, so I might ditch the word element. I'm looking for reactions in the atmosphere that aren't radioactive, seem like they could be controlled, yet hold unpredictable results.

 

Again, I probably don't understand at all and may have to gloss over the details in my story!

 

Thanks again for your help.

[CaptainPanic]

We have discovered all the light elements. So, if you want to introduce a realistic new element, it is going to be a very heavy one.

 

All radio-active elements have a predictable half-life time.

 

The only realistic way that I can see that something is unpredictable is when something is not sufficiently purified, studied, or when the chemist would make a mistake. In other words: if a chemist does not know what goes into the reaction, he cannot predict what comes out. But if a chemist repeats the same experiment twice, and with sufficient care, then the same result will occur twice.

[Bill Angel]

I believe what you are hypothesizing is a substance known as a catalyst. A catalyst can speed up chemical reactions without itself being used up or incorporated into the product of the reaction. For example, automobiles are equipped with catalytic convertors. Your science fiction story could hypothesize the discovery of a catalyst that facilitated a chemical reaction that removed all the oxygen from the atmosphere. That would have very catastrophic consequences to life on Earth.