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What does the spin of an electron mean?
Is it the z component of the spin angular momentum or the spin quantum number?
Is it the z component of the spin angular momentum or the spin quantum number?
No.This is something that confuses me. Are we saying that the electron is literally spinning on its axis,
Yes. - at least, it would be inaccurate and possibly misleading to think of an electron as a spinning sphere.... is it incorrect for me to think of the electron from a spherical perspective?
It has very little to do with spin as we know it. It is just a name, so things will be easier if you forget about spin and think of it as something entirely new called quantum spin.What does the spin of an electron mean?
Is it the z component of the spin angular momentum or the spin quantum number?
Spin has no macroscopic analog, but I like to picture it as more of a "quality" of the particle, and how it reacts with polarization. Up and Down spins effects can be seen by passing electrons through a B field (where up and down spins will be attracted to different poles) because the distribution of charge on a particle is separate from its mass (what Simon Bridge said).This is something that confuses me. Are we saying that the electron is literally spinning on its axis, like a spinning top, or the Earth, or is it incorrect for me to think of the electron from a spherical perspective?