If one takes a positive nucleus and a stationary negative electron, everybody knows that the nucleus will attract the electron, electron will start moving towards the nucleus until the electron falls to the nucleus. I will explain everything in details in a minute, but first let us see the electron-nucleus system from the classical point of view and try to explain how atoms work. The key to the solution is hidden in quantum mechanics. If one thinks about the electron-nucleus system classically, one gets confusing, untrue results. There is a certain probability that the particle will go through the wall.)Īnswer number 1: Electrons do not fall into the nucleus! Why? ( Example: if you shoot a particle to a wall, it is not anymore true, that the whole particle will bounce back. the microscopic world, our intuition usually fails, because many times the predictions of equations contradict our everyday life experience. However, in the quantum physics world, e.g. This is what we see in our everyday life. ( Example: if one kicks a ball to a wall, one expects that the whole ball will bounce back. When we talk about macroscopic objects, the quantum effects are negligible, and our intuition gives usually the right answer to problems. Thank you for the opportunity to ask this question.įirst I have to tell you that there are usually two ways people think about our world.ġ) The classical (the NON-QUANTUM) approach. When I was at school I was taught that electrons travel around the nucleus in a similar way to planets travelling around the sun. However, I seem to recall reading that an electron has to be fired into a proton using a particle accelerator in order for us to produce a neutron. If the electron of a hydrogen atom were to " fall " into the nucleus then this would produce a proton. I have never read of this happening - not even in the depths of space where the temperature is so cold the electrons should be moving very slowly and hence should " fall " in. Science of matter, energy, space and timeĭo electrons ever "fall" into the nucleus of an atom?Ĭould you please tell me if electrons ever " fall " into the nucleus of an atom?.Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology Facility.
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