Splitting the atom with a hammer

In a world of superheroes the job of blacksmith is given to the very strongest of them.

Question

Is splitting an atom in a human-scale piece of work by using a human-scale tool even theoretically possible?

If so and a superhero blacksmith struck his work with such superhuman strength that he randomly split one atom, how hard would he have to strike? What would he notice?

Assumptions

The action of this question takes place on our Earth.

The superheroes are from another dimension, so effectively they are magical beings when they visit our world.

The superheroes look like us but have as much strength as needed.

The tools look like ordinary Earth blacksmith's tools and are the same sort of size. They are made of ordinary elements and compounds found in our natural universe of Earth and the Milky Way but these can be any elements in any combination.

The work can be of any shape and size from that of a horseshoe upwards. It also is made of ordinary elements and compounds found in our natural universe of Earth and the Milky Way. Again any elements and compounds are allowable.

Notes

The blacksmith is not trying to split atoms. He just does it accidentally by being too strong.

The superhero is human-sized and shaped, and holding a human-scale hammer. If the blow accelerates from zero to 'the necessary velocity' in a distance of about 2ft (0.6m) - will the hammer survive the journey? In other words is there some kind of speed/acceleration limit before destruction of the tool occurs, simply by being swung.

posted almost 6 years ago

chasly from UK‭

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