  
Hidden Power In The Structure Of The Atom
 Air, water,
mountains, animals, plants, your body, the armchair in which
you sit, in short, everything, from the smallest to the largest
thing that you see, touch and feel, are made up of atoms.
Both of your hands and also this book you're holding now are
made up of atoms. Atoms are particles so small that it is
impossible to see even one of them with using our most powerful
microscope. The diameter of a single atom is one-millionth
of a millimeter.
It is not possible for a man to visualize such an immensely
tiny scale. Therefore, let us try to approach it using an
example. Assume that you hold a key in your hand. Undoubtedly,
it is not possible for you to see the atoms of this key. In
order to see them, let's assume that we bring the size of
this key to the size of the Earth itself. Once the key becomes
as large as the earth, then each atom inside the key is the
size of a cherry, and so we could finally see them.
What then exists in such a small structure? In spite of its
small size, inside an atom exists a perfect, unique and complex
system. Every atom consists of a central nucleus and electrons
revolving around the nucleus in very distant orbits. The nucleus
is located at the center of the atom and contains a certain
number of protons and neutrons according to the characteristics
of the atom.
The radius of the nucleus is about a ten-thousandth of the
radius of the atom. Now, let's search for the nucleus of the
cherry-size atoms as we enlarge the key to the dimensions
of the globe as we mentioned above. But this search is futile
because it is certainly impossible for us, even at this scale,
to observe a nucleus, which is still amazingly small. For
us to be able to see the nucleus, the cherry that represents
the atom must be enlarged once again until it becomes a giant
ball measuring 200 meters (656 feet) in diameter. In spite
of this incredible dimension, the nucleus of the atom will
still be no larger than a speck of dust.
Yet, it is quite amazing that, although the volume of the
nucleus is about ten-billionth of that of the atom, its mass
constitutes fully 99.5% of the mass of the atom. But how,
then, does a thing, on the one hand, constitute almost the
whole mass while it does not, on the other, take up almost
any space? The reason is that the density of an atom, which
constitutes its mass, is concentrated in the nucleus of the
atom. What provides this is the force called the strong nuclear
force. By means of this force, the nucleus of the atom is
kept together without being scattered.
What we have recounted so far are only a few details about
the perfect system that exists in a single atom. In fact,
an atom contains an extensive structure on which entire volumes
of books can be written. However, even the few details we
mentioned here are enough for us to see its magnificent creation
and the fact that Allah created it.
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