Question

compare the student text with the source.
source: richard van noorden, \four chemical elements added to periodic table.\
published in nature, 2016:
the unstable agglomerations of protons and neutrons last mere fractions of a second before they fall apart into smaller, more stable fragments.
student text:
according to van noorden, the \unstable agglomerations of protons and neutrons\ last less than a second before they break apart.
is the student text plagiarized?
no, it is not plagiarized.
yes, because it fails to cite the source.
yes, because it fails to use quotation marks and fails to cite the source.

Explanation:

The student properly cites the source author (Van Noorden) and uses quotation marks around the directly borrowed phrase "unstable agglomerations of protons and neutrons". They also rephrased the remaining content ("mere fractions of a second" to "less than a second", "fall apart into smaller, more stable fragments" to "break apart") appropriately. This meets academic standards for avoiding plagiarism.

Answer:

No, it is not plagiarized.