How do electrons maintain a stable distance from the nucleus?

[Mukilab]

Please correct me if I am wrong in any of this
1) Electrons are able to go around the nucleus of an atom due to the centrifugal force resulting from the weak/strong force (one of them)
2) Quantum physics says that particles can be in 2 places at the same time.
3) Therefore can't an electron be in the same place over a period of time (although it is probably unlikely) therefore no longer having any centrifugal force
4) The lack of centrifugal force will make the electron spiral into the centre of the atom.

Please could anyone help me out here?

 

[DrChinese]

Electrons do not orbit the nucleus as a planet orbits the sun. This analogy was known to be wrong 100 years ago, in fact some of the same reasoning was applied.

Electrons are said to occupy shells. I think you will benefit if you look at Wikipedia or some other basic sources to gain some additional insight.

All quantum particles can be said to have a probability of being in more than one place.

 

[Mukilab]

Electrons do not orbit the nucleus as a planet orbits the sun. This analogy was known to be wrong 100 years ago, in fact some of the same reasoning was applied.

Electrons are said to occupy shells. I think you will benefit if you look at Wikipedia or some other basic sources to gain some additional insight.

All quantum particles can be said to have a probability of being in more than one place.

How do electrons remain a certain distance from the nucleus?

 

[LostConjugate]

How do electrons remain a certain distance from the nucleus?

Because of the uncertainty principle. As an electron's average position gets closer and closer to the nucleus, the area that it occupies becomes smaller and smaller and the average momentum increases. It is a property of the wave function.

 

[jtbell]

How do electrons remain a certain distance from the nucleus?

They don't. In general, an atomic electron has a certain probability of being at any distance from the nucleus, albeit extremely small for large distances. It even has some probability of being inside the nucleus, which leads to the nuclear decay process called electron capture.