Re: Basic question about atoms

Matt Gregory wrote: 
Bjoern Feuerbacher wrote:

Matt Gregory wrote:

I'm not a physics enthusiast, all I know is what I learned in high
school: that an atom has a positively charged nucleus which
negatively charged electrons are in orbit around.



Unfortunately, this is already wrong: the electrons are *not* "in orbit around". Don't picture them as little marbles flying around the nucleus like planets around the sun. A better picture (still not the truth, only a visualization!) is that the electrons form "charge clouds" around the nuclei. 


I've heard of it being referred to as a cloud.  But if an electron was
moving fast enough, and its distance to the nucleus wasn't constant
(I assume there is some degree of wobbling and ellipticality in the
orbit) then it would be like a cloud.  I don't see what distinction is
being made when they describe it as a cloud.


I wouldn't call a motion which makes it from the outside look as if
there were a cloud an "orbit".

But it isn't this way. The electron doesn't move around and is at
this place at this time and at another place later.


[snip]


Bye,
Bjoern
.

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