So an electron ‘moves’ around the nucleus of an atom. But what causes this motion? Is it just eternal inertia since the atoms founding?
And I don’t mean when elections change levels, I mean the actual motion of the revolution around the nucleus of the atom.
Thanks!
In: Physics
that is a pretty logical question
keep in mind that physics is only trying to describe whatever exists, physics does not define it
So for that people are building some models for understanding, which sometimes are correct up until some point. For example i’m pretty sure that you’ve been told that earth orbits the sun and until you do some space research regarding second or third cosmic velocities you don’t care that the rotation is not circular, but eliptic
same here, to understand the answer to your question, just stop treating an electron as an apple – at this point, for your mental model, electron is a wave
ELI5 comparison: imaging throwing the lure (hook) of a fishing rod into the water. The hook will be your (comparably motionless) nucleus, and the disturbance on water in all directions is your electron – it exists everywhere around the atom.
—– more physics —–
Electron is a function of probability of finding it – the abovementioned wave created is what defines the probability. So in places where that wave has higher magnitude the probability of finding the electron is high.
Happy quantization!!
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