CrawfordK said:Simple question here, I know where the protons, neutrons etc. are, but what I can't seem to find anywhere is what I have labeled "X" in my poorly drawn diagram. Everywhere I look it calls it an "electron cloud" is that all it can be described as because we don't actually know exactly what is in there other electrons?
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/329/atomya0.png
CrawfordK said:I posted it here after reading the forum description.
"Physics of nuclei & elementary particles"
I'm talking about the "space" or "electron cloud" that is in between the electrons.
CrawfordK said:What is in the electron cloud, minus the electrons.
By your understanding = no heat in there then.malawi_glenn said:nothing.
(i.e vacuum and some virtual force mediating particles between the electrons and protons)
basePARTICLE said:By your understanding = no heat in there then.
mr. vodka said:I think the OP was just confused about the term "electron cloud". You mixed up two ways of looking at an atom. In one way, you can see it as a nucleus with electrons encircling it, like Bohr drew. But that doesn't explain everything, so stuff got a lot more confusing and now we have an atom model where there are no electrons in the form you're used to. No particles. On quantum level, they just can't be seen in the way we see them. It is more wave-like, and there's a certain probability for it being on a specific spot (the uncertainty principle says you can never be sure where exactly). The "electron cloud" you talk of, is basically the area that holds a 90% chance of having the electron there.
The electron cloud is a region of space surrounding the nucleus of an atom where electrons are most likely to be found. It is a representation of the probability of finding an electron at a given location within an atom.
The electron cloud was first theorized by Danish physicist Niels Bohr in 1913 as part of his atomic model. However, it was not until the 1920s that scientists, such as Erwin Schrödinger and Werner Heisenberg, developed mathematical equations to describe the electron's behavior and the probability of its location within an atom.
The shape and size of the electron cloud are primarily influenced by the energy level of the electron, the number of electrons in the atom, and the presence of other atoms or molecules nearby. The shape can also be affected by the orientation of the atom in space and the presence of magnetic fields.
The electron cloud is directly related to an atom's chemical properties as it determines the atom's reactivity and the types of chemical bonds it can form with other atoms. The number and arrangement of electrons in an atom's electron cloud determine its chemical behavior and properties.
Scientists are continually studying the electron cloud and developing new theories to better understand its behavior. Some current areas of research include studying the effects of high-energy particles on the electron cloud, investigating the role of the electron cloud in chemical reactions and reactions at the atomic level, and developing new technologies that utilize the properties of the electron cloud, such as quantum computing.