Physics · Modern
Atoms & Nuclei
Inside the atom: Rutherford's nucleus, protons and neutrons, isotopes, the strong force, binding energy and E = mc², radioactive decay and half-lives, fission and fusion.
Step 1 of 5 · Overview30 min read ·
Key idea
Prereqs: Energy; the periodic table. Next: Particle physics & the Standard Model; Fermi & the bomb. Sources: Richard Rhodes, *The Making of the Atomic Bomb* (1986); Frank Close, *Destroyer of Worlds* (2023); Crash Course Physics #45.Next: 1. Discovering the nucleus