Transmutation of matter: from alchemy to nuclear physics

The article analyzes the evolution of the concept of transmutation, showing the transition from alchemical fantasies to the hard evidence of nuclear physics. The author explains that while classical chemistry is based on the reorganization of electrons, a true change of element occurs in the atomic nucleus through a change in the number of protons. Citing the works of Becquerel, Curie, as well as Rutherford and Soddy, the text describes the mechanisms of alpha and beta decay and the discovery of isotopes. The text emphasizes the historical turn in which the term "transmutation" regained scientific meaning, defining an element's identity not as a constant invariant, but as a result of atomic nucleus stability. This transition from the macroscopic to the subatomic level allowed science to realize the ancient dreams of alchemists in a measurable and predictable way.