How are atoms not in superposition if the electrons are

In summary: This soul can be observed, but it is often not until after the particle has died that we can detect it. Once we have detected it, it is usually too late to save it. This is why we generally don't detect superposition in the macro world.
  • #1
batmanandjoker
75
2
From what I understand chemical bonds arrive from the transitions of electrons between atoms and some atoms for a period of time don't have electrons. I don't understand, I thought electrons were tied to specific atoms. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
batmanandjoker said:
From what I understand chemical bonds arrive from the transitions of electrons between atoms and some atoms for a period of time don't have electrons. I don't understand,

Where exactly did you understand this from? Were you taught this, or did it come from something you read?

Zz.
 
  • #3
I read this online but what's the truth? Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. And by atoms I mean those not isolated from the enviorment.
 
  • #4
batmanandjoker said:
I read this online but what's the truth? Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. And by atoms I mean those not isolated from the enviorment.

I'd like to know the source. If you misread or misunderstood the source, then the rest of your question is moot, and it will be a waste of time trying to correct a non-existent concept. We should be correcting your misinterpretation of the source instead.

Zz.
 
  • #5
batmanandjoker said:
From what I understand chemical bonds arrive from the transitions of electrons between atoms and some atoms for a period of time don't have electrons. I don't understand, I thought electrons were tied to specific atoms. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Partly the difference has to do with mass. An atomic nucleus is thousands of times more massive than an electron. Quantum effects are less noticeable for more massive objects. That might be the basis for whatever it is that you read.
 
  • #6
ZapperZ said:
I'd like to know the source. If you misread or misunderstood the source, then the rest of your question is moot, and it will be a waste of time trying to correct a non-existent concept. We should be correcting your misinterpretation of the source instead.

Zz.
Quote Quote by batmanandjoker View Post
But are some of the individual atoms or even cells inside my body in superposition?

sci advisor nugatory
Cells or even atoms? No. (OK, you can say "maybe" if you want, but as with my flying table we're talking "maybe" so small that it is might as well be "never").

Individual electrons? Sure, happens all the time, it's part of how chemical bonds are formed.
 
  • #7
batmanandjoker said:
Quote Quote by batmanandjoker View Post
But are some of the individual atoms or even cells inside my body in superposition?

sci advisor nugatory
Cells or even atoms? No. (OK, you can say "maybe" if you want, but as with my flying table we're talking "maybe" so small that it is might as well be "never").

Individual electrons? Sure, happens all the time, it's part of how chemical bonds are formed.

And my immediate response here is to ask you why you didn't pursue this question right there and then, rather than starting a new thread that is out of context to the original situation? What thread is this from, and why didn't you get the clarification in that thread?

Zz.
 
  • #8
The way I interpret superposition is as such:

You have a really tiny object, so small you can't see it or detect it directly (such as an electron), and since we can't see it, we can't say exactly what state it is in, we have a good idea from our indirect measurements, but how accurate are our measurements? What exactly is happening to our object? Take the double slit for example:

If we launch an electron at our interference device, which slit is it going to go through? left or right? we have virtually no way of knowing without interfering with the results even more. So what we say is (based on the interference and duality of particles in states of quantum superposition) that it goes through both slits at the same time.

You say that atoms don't exist in superimposed states? Explain this to me then: Why do we experience the same interference pattern when we perform the double slit with much larger objects, such as hydrogen atoms?
http://www.livescience.com/19268-quantum-double-slit-experiment-largest-molecules.html
Check out this link, I might not be hitting your question right on the nose, but a lot of quantum effects do come from superposition, and this is one of them, demonstrated with molecules containing upwards of 114 atoms each!
I hope this sheds some light.

--BYH
 
  • #9
BiGyElLoWhAt said:
The way I interpret superposition is as such

There is one way, and one way only, to interpret superposition.

The pure states form a vector space.

That's it - that's all. All objects - subatomic particles, atoms, everyday objects, stars, galaxies, everything, obeys the laws of QM. The principle of superposition applies to them all.

Why we 'generally' do not detect it in the macro world has to do with decoherence.

Thanks
Bill
 
  • #10
Are you speaking about ion and dipole bonds?
 
  • #11
Do a search for ionic bonds and covalent bonds. In ionic bonds an electron is transferred from one atom to another:
H+ Cl-(aq) , Na+Cl-
In covalent bonds electrons are shared, but not always with equal distance : H2O is a polar covalent bond.
To clarify above in case of Hydrogen Chloride gas HCl (g) This is a covalent bonded molecule. In solution it
is ionized to H+ Cl- and hydrated by water molecules.
 
Last edited:

1. How do electrons affect the superposition of atoms?

The superposition of atoms refers to the state where an atom is in multiple energy states at the same time. Electrons play a crucial role in maintaining this state by being present in multiple positions around the atom's nucleus simultaneously.

2. Why do electrons not collapse into the nucleus if they are in superposition?

Electrons do not collapse into the nucleus because of the principle of quantum mechanics called the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This principle states that the position and momentum of a particle, such as an electron, cannot be known simultaneously with certainty. Therefore, the electron's position around the nucleus remains uncertain, preventing it from collapsing into the nucleus.

3. Can atoms be in superposition without electrons?

No, atoms cannot be in superposition without electrons. Electrons are the only particles in an atom that can exist in multiple energy states at the same time, allowing the atom to be in superposition. Without electrons, an atom would exist in a single energy state, and there would be no superposition.

4. How are atoms not in superposition if the electrons can occupy multiple energy levels?

Although electrons can occupy multiple energy levels at the same time, they do not cause the entire atom to be in superposition. Instead, they contribute to the superposition of the atom's energy states, which can be observed through various physical properties such as its spectral lines.

5. What causes electrons to be in multiple positions at the same time?

The wave-particle duality of electrons is the reason why they can exist in multiple positions at the same time. According to quantum mechanics, particles such as electrons can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behaviors. This concept allows electrons to have a probability distribution of positions, rather than a definite location, which contributes to the superposition of atoms.

Similar threads

I Question about Photons causing Electron Transitions in Atoms
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
20
Views
835
B Atom energy band formation and electron allotment
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
5
Views
640
I About the position of electrons (uncertainty)
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
6
Views
2K
B Question about quantum superposition
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
910
I About nature of superposition of states
    • Quantum Physics
4
Replies
124
Views
3K
I Electromagnetic radiation, photons, quantized energy levels
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
1
Views
373
I Do atoms recoil when emitting a photon?
    • Quantum Physics
2
Replies
38
Views
3K
I Weakly interacting electrons in an atom
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
758
I The Central Field Approximation for Many-Electron Atoms
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
1K
I Understanding Covalent Bonds: The Stability of Matter Explained
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
8
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top