Structure of an atom

How do you define structure and dimensions?

 

1. Single atoms done have colour nor boiling point. Try to define the colour and boiling point of an atom ;-)

If you want to learn how atoms and ions biuld up SOLIDS and LIQIUDS which have those criteria, then it is Condensate matter physics you are dealing with. And that is a rigor physical science which is well understood.

2. Atoms nor nuclei have definite size. One can only measure r.m.s radius of the wave functions by performing scattering experiments by probing the atoms with electrons, muons, neutrons etc. This also something that is well understood.

Now what do you want to learn more about? What a scattering experiment is? Just tell us. Also tell us your background, have you done quantum mechanics in college / university yet?

 

Here are some good starting points:

http://www3.tsl.uu.se/thep/courses/QM/scattering-overview.pdf [Broken]

http://farside.ph.utexas.edu/teaching/qmech/lectures/node130.html

This is the theory, experiment, you have a source of matter waves (electrons, photons, neutrons) - let them hit a target and detect their reflection pattern.