Since protons and electrons are oppositely charged, what prevents them from attracting to each other and just sticking together?
In: 4
Protons and electrons do attract each other due to their opposite charges. However, they don’t stick together because of quantum mechanics. Electrons exist in a cloud-like region around the nucleus called an electron shell. They can’t get too close to the protons because of a principle called the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which states that we can’t know both the position and momentum of a particle with absolute certainty. So, while the electrons are attracted to the protons, they also have enough energy to keep them in motion and prevent them from falling into the nucleus.
Latest Answers