Why do paired electrons have no magnetic field lines?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the question of why paired electrons do not exhibit magnetic field lines, exploring concepts related to quantum mechanics, electron spin, and analogies with classical objects like bar magnets. The scope includes theoretical explanations and conceptual clarifications regarding the behavior of electrons in paired states.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that thinking of electrons as bar magnets is misleading, as classical analogs do not accurately represent quantum behavior.
  • One participant explains that paired electrons have opposite spins due to the Pauli exclusion principle, leading to a cancellation of their magnetic moments, resulting in a diamagnetic state.
  • Another participant emphasizes that classical methods of calculating magnetic fields do not apply to bound electrons, which lack definite positions and orientations.
  • A participant describes an attempt to visualize the magnetic fields of paired electrons using a bar magnet analogy and questions whether paired electrons occupy the same spherical coordinates.
  • It is noted that electrons do not have coordinates in the classical sense and that their state is described by a complex mathematical wave function.
  • One participant argues that bar magnets of opposite polarity can cancel their magnetic fields at a distance, but questions arise regarding the scale of atoms and their magnetic interactions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the appropriateness of classical analogies for explaining the behavior of paired electrons. There is no consensus on a definitive analogy or explanation for the lack of magnetic field lines in paired electrons.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in using classical analogs to describe quantum phenomena, as well as the complexities involved in understanding the mathematical representation of electron states.

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TL;DR
Why do paired electrons have no magnetic field lines?
If you think of electrons with spin as bar magnets, you know bar magnets of opposite polarity when put next to each other in any respective rotation don't cancel each other's magnetic field out. So what's a more apt analogy for electron paired have no magnetic field?
 
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Paired electrons have opposite spin due to pauli exclusion principle.As for the magnetic moment , it becomes diamagnetic because the oppositely spinning electron generate opposite poles/magnetic moment which cancel each other out . As for the bar magnet analogy , give me some time and ill get back to you
 
adf89812 said:
So what's a more apt analogy for electron paired have no magnetic field?
There may not be any.
The problem is that the quantum mechanical behavior of particles like electrons has no good classical analogs. Bar magnets, like all classical objects, have a definite position and orientation in space; we use these properties to calculate the magnetic field of two nearby bar magnets. But these methods won't work for bound electrons which have neither a definite position nor orientation, nor will any other analogy based on classical objects. Instead we have to learn and trust the math without falling back on our classical intuitioin about how this "ought to" behave.
 
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Nugatory said:
There may not be any.
The problem is that the quantum mechanical behavior of particles like electrons has no good classical analogs. Bar magnets, like all classical objects, have a definite position and orientation in space; we use these properties to calculate the magnetic field of two nearby bar magnets. But these methods won't work for bound electrons which have neither a definite position nor orientation, nor will any other analogy based on classical objects. Instead we have to learn and trust the math without falling back on our classical intuitioin about how this "ought to" behave.
I drew a bar magnetic and its magnetic field in powerpoint. Then I copied it and pasted it and flipped the picture. I made the two images transparent, and consistent with a Halbach array, I understand that magnetic fields can cancel out, I realize two paired electrons can have no net magnetic field if they occupy the same position in space. So do paired electrons always have the same spherical coordinates?
 
adf89812 said:
I drew a bar magnetic and its magnetic field in powerpoint. Then I copied it and pasted it and flipped the picture. I made the two images transparent, and consistent with a Halbach array, I understand that magnetic fields can cancel out, I realize two paired electrons can have no net magnetic field if they occupy the same position in space. So do paired electrons always have the same spherical coordinates?
They don’t have any coordinates, at least not the way you’re thinking about coordinates, and they do not have a position in space. The state of the two-electron system is described by a mathematical object (informally called the “wave function”) that can be written in spherical coordinates - but if so the function has six arguments and is complex-valued so doesn’t correspond to any classical.
 
adf89812 said:
you know bar magnets of opposite polarity when put next to each other in any respective rotation don't cancel each other's magnetic field out
They do far away. And atoms are small.
 

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