When two atoms fuse together to form a single atom, a process called nuclear fusion, there are several factors that come into play, including the masses and charges of the atoms involved. Let's consider the general case of fusion between two atoms.
During nuclear fusion, the nuclei of the two atoms come close enough for the strong nuclear force to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged protons. This results in the combination of the two atomic nuclei into a single nucleus. The exact process and the resulting atom will depend on the specific atoms involved in the fusion.
Regarding the masses of the atoms, the mass of an atom is primarily determined by the sum of the masses of its protons and neutrons. During fusion, the total mass of the resulting atom will be slightly less than the sum of the masses of the original atoms. This is due to a small amount of mass being converted into energy according to Einstein's famous equation, E=mc². This released energy is often in the form of light or heat and is known as the binding energy.
The charges of the atoms also play a role in fusion. Atoms consist of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. During fusion, the total number of protons in the resulting atom will be equal to the sum of the protons from the original atoms. Therefore, the overall charge of the resulting atom will be the same as the sum of the charges of the original atoms.
It's worth noting that nuclear fusion is a complex process that can result in the formation of different elements, depending on the atoms involved. For example, in stars, hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium nuclei, releasing energy in the process. In advanced fusion reactions, such as those pursued in experimental fusion reactors, heavier elements may be formed. These processes involve multiple nuclear reactions and can result in the release of significant amounts of energy.
In summary, when two atoms fuse together to form one atom, the total mass of the resulting atom will be slightly less than the sum of the masses of the original atoms due to the conversion of mass into energy. The overall charge of the resulting atom will be the same as the sum of the charges of the original atoms.