My question has been edited several times, and I'm not sure how to fix it. Probably of my own fault, the question was thought to be confusing and unclear. So it was edited to a different intent. And now I have several answers that don't answer the original intent, and several confused, probably mad people. I don't want to throw a pity party, I just want to know how to fix this. If it is to delete the entire question I can live with that.
@DavidArchibald There is nothing to fix, because the question is nonsensical. Read this: "Given that my machine draws from everyday air to create any substance, what are the steps that would take the most optimal number of protons, electrons, and neutrons from the air's elements?".
@DavidArchibald Even before it was un-fixable. Essentially you are saying this: "I have a magic machine that violates our most basic laws of physics. How do I optimize that machine?". It is entirely unanswerable.
My posts have been deleted, including my answer. Essentially, my answer stated that your solution is to assume a device that can do this, and ignore how it does the steps. We just don't know, but that doesn't make it impossible. The process would have to occur so fast (microseconds between steps) to provide a sufficient quantity, that radiation would be negligible from background, if done one at a time.
I'm aware that it seems to break some basic laws of physics, this is an important part of my story. Perhaps I should've made it clearer, but I thought it would be safest to ignore it in the scope of the question. If I was incorrect in assuming that I could ask a question about an impossible(or super advanced) machine, then I suppose we should talk about deleting it
@JustinThyme Eh.... if you do things really quick, you get more radiation, not less. Radiation happens instantly for every time you break apart an atom. So if you break apart more atoms per second, you get more radiation per second.
@DavidArchibald You are free to ask about impossible machines, but I cannot for my life figure out what the question is, let alone what it is you want with this. What is your purpose of this question?
No matter how you do it, it will take enormous amounts of energy. Providing this energy, undetected, would be a major obstacle. Containment of the interim products, so it is available for further construction, would be another.
@MichaelK does that happen even ignoring the "rearrangement" that occurs when removing a proton or neutron, and gamma radiation etc that would come from the strong nuclear force?
@DavidArchibald Stop... just stop. Answer me this: what is the problem you are having? What is it that you have gotten stuck on, that you hope to get solved by an answer to this question?
@MichaelK I'm asking how many neutrons, protons, and electrons, that can be removed from literal air(as in the literal elements) without radiation exceeding a dangerous amount, or the creation of easily detectable particles such as neutrinos(beyond the ones that would be created normally from removing the neutrons, protons, and electrons)
@DavidArchibald As many as you like because you explicitly stated that this magic machine deals with the radiation.
@DavidArchibald Also, calling neutrinos "easily detectable" is like saying that climbing to the peak of Mt. Everest in a snowstorm is "a leisurely stroll".
My point was, just ONE decomposition would not produce radiation above background noise. Decomposition happens regularly under routine solar and other 'naturally occurring' radiation. Half-life is seldom measured in micro-seconds. Thus, stability/instability of interim elements would not be a problem.
@DavidArchibald But is this magic machine does not deal with the radiation then the answer is: no significant amount at all. Because using it would be like standing next to an unshielded nuclear reactor at full blast. That is what a reactor does: picks apart atoms.
@MichaelK And answer I was giving insinuated that. I'm trying to balance the feedback I was given.
The radiation that would normally occur from removing the protons and neutrons, from the atom rearranging, but the machine has a process to do that(it doesn't mask it, it doesn't create any)
*one of the answers I was given basically said that neutrinos would be easily seen. And while I thought we already got plenty and they would be hard to see, I figured they knew better than I would.
@DavidArchibald , do not even bother to try to make physical sense of this, all right? When humans need to "add" or "remove" elementary particles from atoms, we use nuclear reactors and spallation sources, like the ESS ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Spallation_Source )
Perhaps you have by now realized that there seems to be far more interest in tearing your idea down than in providing credible, usable answers. Respondents are hung up on nuclear reactor methods, but a cyclotron can contain the radiation, and do it one atom at a time.
@DavidArchibald And the amount of radiation that these create when they do this... is IMMENSE. I am not even exaggerating that if this machine of yours would turn 1 gram of air to 1 gram of gold in, say a minute... you have sterilized everything about 100 meters out from the machine. Life - as we know it - has ceased to be in that.
@JustinThyme Oh I am sorry I did not think of that. I will just run down to the nearest electronics store and get a Pocket Cyclotron that can produce neutrons, protons and electrons on demand, and then fuse them to heavy elements.
@JustinThyme I am not interested in tearing down the idea of a Philosopher's Stone. What I am saying is: this is magic. If you try to make it be physics, it will fail.
So what would the best way be to continue. Delete the question or try to salvage it somehow. I suppose I should've just said handwavium immediately, and I did deny at the beginning that I wanted handwavium, because I didn't realize that an aspect of my own question would have to be handwavium.
@DavidArchibald Do not read things into it that are not there. Just take the advice... this is magic, not physics. Keep it magical and you will be fine. If you try to make it into something physical and explainable, you are destined to fail.
I got it. But I feel as if I'll only somehow make it worse if I edit to say it's handwavium. If you think it can be salvaged by doing that though, I'll try.
@DavidArchibald Well if you thought your question was not handwavium, did it not strike you as kind of odd that we did not have a Philosopher's Stone — be it magical or technical — already? :-)
@DavidArchibald The only time humans can make one element turn into another element is in a nuclear reactor or — as Justin said — by taking a cyclotron or similar accelerator and shooting at another element with it.
I mean it was a nuclear science thing, anythings possible(not really as I've learned). I figured there would be an incredibly expensive way to do it, but no one had funded it yet, because it wouldn't be a good investment; there was no guarantee it would actually make gold. And even if it did the entire market rate would plummet etc etc.
I think you should go with the leads that have been generated, cut your losses, keep the question posted so you can archive the references, and then ignore it.
...or in a fusor. That is actually quite cool, making nuclear reactions in a lab. But you do not get anything better than very light elements in it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusor
Actually...
Hm, what do you think @JustinThyme? Could a Fusor and just a little bit of hand-waving serve here?
@JustinThyme Just btw I had nothing to do with the deletion of your original answer. I found it pretty clever actually.
Yeah, that fixes the machine, but how many of the protons neutrons and electrons(is there a name for these besides subatomic particles, they apply to too much, that applies to just them?) could be harvested? Everything?
Alas, thirty years ago, if you had asked how to make a device that fit in the pocket, could take and send a picture from one city to another instantly, call up anyone on earth, play music and videos, TAKE videos, play games, give instant answers from voice commands, determine where your car was and track it, determine where you were and show it on a live map, show you an interactive view of almost any street, anywhere in the world, they would have said 'impossible'.
Transmutation from thin air. Literall…