What's to stop one from building an atom consisting of...

[Humberto]

...k protons, k + n neutrons and k electrons?

Is there a theoretical bound on how large an atom can be?

 

[Sinbad]

Eventually the combined repulsive force of all the protons overcomes the nuclear force holding the nucleus together. That's why the heaviest elements are pretty unstable and tend to be radioactive and decay.

 

[ponder]

You're not god

 

[Picard]

Like Wolfgang Pauli said:

What God hath put asunder, no man shall ever join.

 

[porchrat]

Like Wolfgang Pauli said:

What God hath put asunder, no man shall ever join.

Except with fusion.

 

[Ninja'd]

What's to stop one from building an atom consisting of...

...k protons, k + n neutrons and k electrons?

Is there a theoretical bound on how large an atom can be?

A lawsuit.

 

[ShaunSA]

A lawsuit.

Yes but will Humberto be on the giving end or the receiving end?

 

[grok]

Apple will sue you, we all know they have the patent for that.

 

[Flowerhat]

intedesting