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ander
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What causes the attraction between electrons and protons in the nucleus? I've always assumed the attraction and worked from there, but I was curious if anybody knows what the root cause of this attraction is.
ander said:What causes the attraction between electrons and protons in the nucleus? I've always assumed the attraction and worked from there, but I was curious if anybody knows what the root cause of this attraction is.
DaveC426913 said:You mean beyond charge? Protons are positively charged, electrons negatively charged?
Is your question more aptly: what causes the charges in subatomic particles?
ander said:Yes, that's my question. What causes the charges?
I like Serena said:No one knows.
We just observed the attraction and thought up the concept of charge and electrical force to model it.
It turned out to be a good model.
Borek said:Actually this is more physics than chemistry.
The attraction of electrons to the nucleus is based on the concept of electrostatic force. Opposite charges attract each other, and since electrons have a negative charge and the nucleus has a positive charge, there is an attraction between them.
The number of protons in the nucleus determines the strength of the attraction between electrons and the nucleus. The more protons there are, the stronger the positive charge of the nucleus, resulting in a stronger attraction for electrons.
This is due to the balance between the attractive force of the nucleus and the centrifugal force of the electron's orbit. The kinetic energy of the electron keeps it in a stable orbit around the nucleus, preventing it from falling into the nucleus.
The distance between the nucleus and electrons plays a crucial role in the attraction between them. The closer the electrons are to the nucleus, the stronger the attraction will be. This is because the electrostatic force decreases as the distance between charges increases.
Yes, the attraction between electrons and the nucleus can be broken through various processes, such as ionization or nuclear reactions. These processes involve adding or removing electrons from atoms, resulting in a change in the balance of forces between the nucleus and electrons.