- #1
daisey
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I am currently reading Kenneth W. Ford's book entitled "The Quantum World". In chapter 2 there is a section on Length, and in that section he talks about the size of atoms and electrons. He uses an analogy where the nucleus of a Hydrogen atom is the size of a basketball, and the electron orbits the nucleus up to a mile in radius (within that same analogy).
Now, in that analogy Kenneth states the "speck" of the electron completely "fills up" the volume outside the nucleus due to the wave nature of the electron.
My question concerns his use of the term "fills up". I thought that I had learned that electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances from the nucleus (called "shells" - two electrons max in the first shell, eight in the second, etc). And the electron can jump from one orbit to another if influenced by some outside force (and I believe absorbing or emitting a photon in the process). So, in a Hydrogen atom, since there is only one electron orbiting the nucleus, does that single electron "fill" every "shell" of the atom at once?
In other words, if the distance from an Helium nucleus to the outer portion of the atom is A, there would be many, many electrons filling many discrete orbital "shells" within this distance A. Now if this were a Hydrogen atom, would that single electron fill that same distance "A" (the entire volume) all at once? That would mean the electron is filling all of the orbital "shells" all at once, wouldn't it?
As you can see, I am confused. Maybe I am using incorrect terminology. Thanks in advance for your patience and help.
Daisey
Now, in that analogy Kenneth states the "speck" of the electron completely "fills up" the volume outside the nucleus due to the wave nature of the electron.
My question concerns his use of the term "fills up". I thought that I had learned that electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances from the nucleus (called "shells" - two electrons max in the first shell, eight in the second, etc). And the electron can jump from one orbit to another if influenced by some outside force (and I believe absorbing or emitting a photon in the process). So, in a Hydrogen atom, since there is only one electron orbiting the nucleus, does that single electron "fill" every "shell" of the atom at once?
In other words, if the distance from an Helium nucleus to the outer portion of the atom is A, there would be many, many electrons filling many discrete orbital "shells" within this distance A. Now if this were a Hydrogen atom, would that single electron fill that same distance "A" (the entire volume) all at once? That would mean the electron is filling all of the orbital "shells" all at once, wouldn't it?
As you can see, I am confused. Maybe I am using incorrect terminology. Thanks in advance for your patience and help.
Daisey