Oddo-Harkins rule
Encyclopedia
The Oddo-Harkins rule holds that elements
with an even atomic number
(such as carbon
) are more common than elements with an odd atomic number (such as nitrogen
).
, with an atomic number of 1. Perhaps this is simply because of the fact that, in its ionized form, a hydrogen atom becomes a single proton, of which is theorized to have been one of the first major conglomerates of quarks during the initial second of the Universe's inflation period
, following the Big Bang
. The period at which temperatures in the particle soup fell from over a trillion degrees to several million degrees - a drastic depression in temperature experienced when inflation of the universe had brought it from an infinitesimal point to about the size of a modern galaxy - and allowed for the fusion
of single protons and deuterium
nuclei to form helium
and lithium
nuclei remained brief and far too short for every H+ ion to be reconstituted into heavier elements; more notably, in this case, helium, atomic number 2, of which remains the even numbered counterpart to hydrogen. Thus, neutral hydrogen - or hydrogen paired with an electron
, the only stable lepton
- constituted the vast majority of the remaining unannihilated
portions of matter following the conclusion of inflation.
. In this case, the postulate gets revised to include the increased probability of relevance on a universal scale as the atomic mass of the element is increased, by factoring in the decrease in energy output, and thus feasibility, of fusing subsequently larger atomic nuclei. Basically, what this means is that when fusion occurs with larger and larger nuclei, the energy input becomes increasingly larger and the energy output becomes increasingly smaller; the point at which these two potentials meet on the periodic table of elements is somewhere around the elements iron
, atomic number 26, and nickel
, atomic number 28. And so from here on fusion becomes exponentially more and more unachievable making the probability of finding discrepancies in the Oddo-Harkins rule more and more doubtful.
Chemical element
A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Familiar examples of elements include carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, mercury, and lead.As of November 2011, 118 elements...
with an even atomic number
Atomic number
In chemistry and physics, the atomic number is the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom and therefore identical to the charge number of the nucleus. It is conventionally represented by the symbol Z. The atomic number uniquely identifies a chemical element...
(such as carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
) are more common than elements with an odd atomic number (such as nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
).
Definition
This rule argues that elements with odd atomic numbers have one unpaired proton and are more likely to capture another, thus increasing their atomic number. In elements with even atomic numbers, protons are paired, with each member of the pair offsetting the spin of the other, enhancing stability.Exceptions to the rule
This postulate, however, is completely untrue for the universe's most abundant, and simplest element from the periodic table of elements: hydrogenHydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
, with an atomic number of 1. Perhaps this is simply because of the fact that, in its ionized form, a hydrogen atom becomes a single proton, of which is theorized to have been one of the first major conglomerates of quarks during the initial second of the Universe's inflation period
Cosmic inflation
In physical cosmology, cosmic inflation, cosmological inflation or just inflation is the theorized extremely rapid exponential expansion of the early universe by a factor of at least 1078 in volume, driven by a negative-pressure vacuum energy density. The inflationary epoch comprises the first part...
, following the Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
. The period at which temperatures in the particle soup fell from over a trillion degrees to several million degrees - a drastic depression in temperature experienced when inflation of the universe had brought it from an infinitesimal point to about the size of a modern galaxy - and allowed for the fusion
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
of single protons and deuterium
Deuterium
Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is one of two stable isotopes of hydrogen. It has a natural abundance in Earth's oceans of about one atom in of hydrogen . Deuterium accounts for approximately 0.0156% of all naturally occurring hydrogen in Earth's oceans, while the most common isotope ...
nuclei to form helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
and lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
nuclei remained brief and far too short for every H+ ion to be reconstituted into heavier elements; more notably, in this case, helium, atomic number 2, of which remains the even numbered counterpart to hydrogen. Thus, neutral hydrogen - or hydrogen paired with an electron
Electron
The electron is a subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. It has no known components or substructure; in other words, it is generally thought to be an elementary particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1/1836 that of the proton...
, the only stable lepton
Lepton
A lepton is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. The best known of all leptons is the electron which governs nearly all of chemistry as it is found in atoms and is directly tied to all chemical properties. Two main classes of leptons exist: charged leptons , and neutral...
- constituted the vast majority of the remaining unannihilated
Antimatter
In particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
portions of matter following the conclusion of inflation.
Relationship to fusion
In a natural sense, the pattern arises right after the runaway fusion in a dying supermassive star occurs, in which a given mass of the various even and odd numbered elements are formed by a slightly greater mass of the elements hydrogen and helium; wherein the mass of elements is exploded outward from the star's outer-interior to join the rest of the galaxy's interstellar mediumInterstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
. In this case, the postulate gets revised to include the increased probability of relevance on a universal scale as the atomic mass of the element is increased, by factoring in the decrease in energy output, and thus feasibility, of fusing subsequently larger atomic nuclei. Basically, what this means is that when fusion occurs with larger and larger nuclei, the energy input becomes increasingly larger and the energy output becomes increasingly smaller; the point at which these two potentials meet on the periodic table of elements is somewhere around the elements iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, atomic number 26, and nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
, atomic number 28. And so from here on fusion becomes exponentially more and more unachievable making the probability of finding discrepancies in the Oddo-Harkins rule more and more doubtful.
See also
- atomic numberAtomic numberIn chemistry and physics, the atomic number is the number of protons found in the nucleus of an atom and therefore identical to the charge number of the nucleus. It is conventionally represented by the symbol Z. The atomic number uniquely identifies a chemical element...
- hydrogenHydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
- cosmic inflationCosmic inflationIn physical cosmology, cosmic inflation, cosmological inflation or just inflation is the theorized extremely rapid exponential expansion of the early universe by a factor of at least 1078 in volume, driven by a negative-pressure vacuum energy density. The inflationary epoch comprises the first part...
- List of elements by stability of isotopes
- nuclear fusionNuclear fusionNuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
- nuclear chemistryNuclear chemistryNuclear chemistry is the subfield of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes and nuclear properties.It is the chemistry of radioactive elements such as the actinides, radium and radon together with the chemistry associated with equipment which are designed to perform nuclear...