Bohr Model Electron Movement Question

[MrJohnnyPrice]

Homework Statement

How does an electron get from an excited state (r = 4a_o) to a ground state (r = a_o) without being anywhere in between?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

My only attempt would be to say that it does exist between for a short time, and during that time it emits a photon. The book I'm working with poses the question but lends no hint toward how to answer it, it simply states the electron "jumps" between states.

 

[gabbagabbahey]

The idea is that the electron is described by a wavefunction, which is non-zero at every position... r=a_0 is just the most probable position for you to find an electron in the ground state, when you measure its position.

The electron's position doesn't jump from r=4a_0 to r=a_0, only its most probable location, upon measurement, makes that jump.

 

[MrJohnnyPrice]

Awesome, thank you so much.