Will My Elements Always Exist?

Question

Theoretically, long after I am dead and gone...buried, decayed, cremated, whatever the fate happens to be, will the elements that form my body exist eternally? I realize the universe is probably doomed to the "freeze" or "collapse" but, because at some point, they say our elements were once parts of stars, does this mean the elements that currently belong to me will just disperse back into existence, always to belong to something?

Answer 1

your atoms will always exist (atom is latin for unbreakable or something like that). nothing is destroyed only changed

Answer 2

energy never "dies" it only changes form, matter is simply energy at various different vibrations and densities, theoretically,...the elements of which you are comprised currently aren't exactly the elements of which you were comprised of five years ago. Theoretically on an elemental, cellular and atomic, sub atomic, ad infinitum-level, you're dying and being reborn thousands of times every nanosecond.

Answer 3

On a human timescale, or even a geologic timescale, yes.  If our dying sun subsumes the earth in several million years, some of your hydrogen atoms will fuse into helium.  The very few radioactive atoms within you will decay (fission).  If that dying sun joins with other matter and collapses into a neutron star, all atoms lose their identity, protons and electrons combine, and neutrons is all that's left.

Answer 4

yes.

your body is made up of molecules and they'll lose their bonds, separating into atoms..From there, the atoms will bind with other objects nearby. from air to dust to dirt to mud or whatever.

even if the planet explodes, there would still be dust left behind that was made from some of your atoms.

anything could happen to that dust, from being eaten by a planet's gravity, eaten by a star, or even being blow into space toward other objects when a nearby star explodes.

Answer 5

They will change and some will be gone

Answer 6

Didn't you read the Bible? Ashes to ashes -- and dust to dust. Pretty good conclusion for a book written thousands of years before mankind had any concept of the atom.

Answer 7

So far as we now know, yes.  The elements in your corpus don't engage in radioactive decay.

Answer 8

Maybe.

Answer 9

What is you will cease to be -- and will be -- and will not be again.