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Kat007
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Homework Statement
What is stopping electrons from collapsing onto protons of the atom? And why doesn't the electron go closer to the nucleus than the 1s orbital?
Kat007 said:Homework Statement
What is stopping electrons from collapsing onto protons of the atom? And why doesn't the electron go closer to the nucleus than the 1s orbital?
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
Ygggdrasil said:Therefore, the uncertainty principle causes a sort of quantum repulsion, that keeps electrons from being too tightly localized near the nucleus.
Kat007 said:...particles making up the electron...
mhmd said:I always thought it was the centrifugal force, like how the Earth spins around the sun. :/
Char. Limit said:However, this force fails to explain why an electron requires certain energy levels, and cannot go between them.
Kat007 said:Exactly, what is holding it between these levels and not elsewhere? I mean these levels are so well defined! I just don't get it. My only idea, like we said before, yes it is attracted to the positive charge of proton, but repelled by something else (as Dulrich suggested by the d quarks?). But how do the orbitals come about?
Another interesting thing that astonished me when i first heard it is electron tunnelling. Extraordinary I think! How on Earth does it manage that?! And it does! I saw that STM at work with my own eyes! ;)
Electrons and protons are both subatomic particles. Electrons have a negative charge and are much smaller in mass compared to protons, which have a positive charge.
Electrons and protons play a crucial role in keeping atoms stable. The electrons orbit the nucleus, which is made up of protons and neutrons. The positive charge of the protons in the nucleus attracts the negative charge of the electrons, creating a balance of forces that keeps the atom intact.
The 1s orbital is the lowest energy level in an atom. It can hold a maximum of two electrons and is spherical in shape, surrounding the nucleus of the atom.
In an atom, the negatively charged electrons are attracted to the positively charged protons in the nucleus. This electrostatic force of attraction helps to keep the atom from collapsing. Additionally, the movement of electrons around the nucleus also contributes to the stability of the atom.
If the balance between electrons and protons is disrupted, the atom can become unstable and react with other atoms to form compounds. This can happen when an atom gains or loses electrons, creating an imbalance in its charge.