Why doesn’t solid material, when it breaks simply connect back together? What kept it together that is gone now?
As soon as you break molecules apart they immediately want to stick to something, and they'll take anything that fits. For example diamonds are actually covered with a layer of hydrogen atoms, as soon as you break diamond apart the parts will immediately cover themselves with hydrogen from the ai…
The Short Answer
As soon as you break molecules apart they immediately want to stick to something, and they'll take anything that fits. For example diamonds are actually covered with a layer of hydrogen atoms, as soon as you break diamond apart the parts will immediately cover themselves with hydrogen from the air (when you touch diamond you're actually touching hydrogen not carbon). With metals it's generally oxygen that sticks to the surface (called oxides). This means that if you break something apart and try to fit it back together the molecules have already stuck to other things so don't want to stick back together, like how when scotch tape gets covered in fluff it doesn't stick any more. As other posters have mentioned if you break things apart in a perfect vacuum because there are no other molecules around you can actually push the parts back together and they'll stick.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Break, apart, stick
This explanation focuses on break, apart, stick and spans 148 words across 5 sentences. At 106% above the average Science explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “As soon as you break molecules apart they immediately want to stick to something, and they'll take anything that fits.” It then elaborates with concrete examples, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 5 connected points.
How This Compares in Science
Ranked #33 of 500 Science questions by answer depth (top 7%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why solid material, when it breaks simply connect back together? what kept it together that is gone now?
As soon as you break molecules apart they immediately want to stick to something, and they'll take anything that fits. For example diamonds are actually covered with a layer of hydrogen atoms, as soon as you break diamond apart the parts will…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Science questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 148 words, ranked #33 of 500 Science questions by depth. The key concepts covered are break, apart, stick.
What approach does this answer take to explain solid material, when it breaks simply connect back together??
The explanation uses root cause analysis and concrete examples across 148 words. It is categorized under Science and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.