Atom energy band formation and electron allotment

In summary, the Copenhagen Interpretation does not provide an explanation for the energy bands of atoms or why they only form for protons/antiprotons. This is a question that is independent of any particular interpretation and is related to the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. Additionally, the neutralization process of energy bands when they have a full allotment of electrons is a result of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that no single-electron states can be occupied by more than one electron. This leads to the shell structure of atoms and is not dependent on any specific interpretation of quantum mechanics.
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Clueless123
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This is actually a two-part question:

1) According to the Copenhagen Interpretation, atoms have energy bands but there's no explanation of how these bands are derived, or why they only form for protons/antiprotons. Any thoughts?

2) The Copenhagen Interpretation mentions that when an atom's energy band has a full allotment of electrons, the energy band neutralizes that prevents additional electrons from entering (to ensure a one-to-one pairing with protons). Is there a detailed, step-by-step explanation of how this neutralization process manifests by the atom? Of how the additional electrons are prevented from entering the band?
 
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Clueless123 said:
This is actually a two-part question:

1) According to the Copenhagen Interpretation, atoms have energy bands but there's no explanation of how these bands are derived, or why they only form for protons/antiprotons. Any thoughts?

2) The Copenhagen Interpretation mentions that when an atom's energy band has a full allotment of electrons, the energy band neutralizes that prevents additional electrons from entering (to ensure a one-to-one pairing with protons). Is there a detailed, step-by-step explanation of how this neutralization process manifests by the atom? Of how the additional electrons are prevented from entering the band?
What references are these statements based upon?
 
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  • #3
Clueless123 said:
This is actually a two-part question:
For the first question, I have no idea what you're talking about when you say "...only form for protons/antiprotons". If you could tell us what source you're using for this statement we might be better able to understand the question.
For the second question, atomic energy levels and the shell filling rules appear when we solve Schrodinger's equation for electrons bound in an atom (although when we do this exercise in our first-year QM class we take the exclusion principle as an additional assumption - the rigorous proof of that comes a few years later). So the step-by-step explanation is the step-by-step solution to Schrodinger's equation.

The Copenhagen interpretation has pretty much nothing to do with any of this.

In one of your other threads a week or so ago I suggested that you might want to try Ghirardi's book. That was good advice then and it still is.
 
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Clueless123 said:
According to the Copenhagen Interpretation
Clueless123 said:
The Copenhagen Interpretation
Discussions of particular interpretations of QM belong in the interpretations subforum, not this one.

However, it does not appear that your actual questions have anything to do with any particular interpretation. They look like straightforward questions about experimental predictions of QM, which are independent of any particular interpretation.
 
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PeterDonis said:
However, it does not appear that your actual questions have anything to do with any particular interpretati
Or reality.

Single atoms have energy levels. Bulk matter has energy bands.
 
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  • #6
Clueless123 said:
This is actually a two-part question:

1) According to the Copenhagen Interpretation, atoms have energy bands but there's no explanation of how these bands are derived, or why they only form for protons/antiprotons. Any thoughts?
The physics is independent of the interpretation (or only dependent on the minimal interpretation needed to connect the abstract mathematical formalism of QT with real-world observations). According to QT an atom is described by a Hamiltonian, which has a spectrum which has a discrete part (describing "bound states") and a continuous part (describing "scattering states"). There are no "energy bands". This is a notion related to macrocopic matter, particularly solid bodies/crystals.
Clueless123 said:
2) The Copenhagen Interpretation mentions that when an atom's energy band has a full allotment of electrons, the energy band neutralizes that prevents additional electrons from entering (to ensure a one-to-one pairing with protons). Is there a detailed, step-by-step explanation of how this neutralization process manifests by the atom? Of how the additional electrons are prevented from entering the band?
Again this has nothing to do with whatever interpretation of QT you use. If I understand your pretty vague ideas right, you are referring to the Pauli exclusion principle, which is valid for fermions, and electrons are fermions. It says that the many-electron wavefunctions are completely antisymmetric under exchange of any two electrons. This implies that no single-electron states can be occupied with more than one electron, and this leads to the "shell structure" of the atoms.
 
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1. What is an energy band in an atom?

An energy band in an atom refers to the range of energy levels that electrons can occupy within an atom. These energy levels are determined by the arrangement of electrons in the atom's orbitals.

2. How are energy bands formed in an atom?

Energy bands are formed in an atom through the process of electron allotment. This is when electrons are assigned to specific energy levels within the atom's orbitals, based on their energy and the rules of quantum mechanics.

3. What determines the number of energy bands in an atom?

The number of energy bands in an atom is determined by the number of orbitals available for electrons to occupy. Each orbital can hold a specific number of electrons, and the total number of orbitals in an atom depends on its atomic number.

4. How are electrons allotted within energy bands?

Electrons are allotted within energy bands according to the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons will occupy the lowest available energy level first before filling higher energy levels. This process is also influenced by the Pauli exclusion principle and Hund's rule.

5. What is the significance of energy bands in understanding an atom's properties?

Energy bands play a crucial role in determining an atom's properties, such as its reactivity and conductivity. The arrangement of electrons within energy bands can affect an atom's chemical and physical properties, making it an important concept in the study of atoms and molecules.

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