The discussion centers on the interaction between photons and atoms, specifically addressing whether atomic size influences photon absorption. It concludes that the concept of atomic size is misleading, as photons interact primarily with point-like charged particles, such as electrons. The number of electrons in an atom does affect photon absorption, as more electrons can lead to increased photon interactions. However, the atomic mass does not directly correlate with the number of photons absorbed.
PREREQUISITESPhysicists, students of quantum mechanics, and anyone interested in the fundamental interactions of light and matter.
how about electrons? Does the number of electrons change the way a photon gets absorbed?Nugatory said:An atom isn’t a little round ball so we want to be cautious about using words like “size” - there’s a notion of atomic size but it’s not quite like what we mean when we talk about the size of a billiard ball.
Whether a photon is absorbed or scattered by an atom depends on how it interacts with the individual charged particles that make up the atom, and these are close to (in the case of the electron exactly, as far as we know) point particles. So the answer to your question is somewhere between “that’s not a good way of thinking about it” and “no”.