T/F? Vibrating electrons produce electromagnetic waves.?

Answer 1

True and twinsfan is an idiot

Answer 2

electrons can't "vibrate" because vibration implies a motion relative to something else. think of this: can an electron in space vibrate? the answer is no because the electron has no reference frame. however, if you were there next to the electron and you were watching the electron and it went towards you, then away, then towards you, etc, in a regular fashion, then it would be vibrating (ignore the effects of heisenberg uncertainty which says that we can't ever know the position and velocity of an electron perfectly). but that's only because you provided a reference frame. the electron itself can only move with respect to this frame, otherwise there is no motion, so a solitary electron can't vibrate.

the question you were likely asking is "can an electron vibrating with respect to a nucleus produce EM waves?" i would have asked "can an electron-nucleus bond vibrate" but that runs into the heisenberg problem again and it's a bit more complicated than that. anywho, these electrons vibrating with respect to the nucleus can and do produce EM waves. but upon emission of such a wave, the vibration becomes less and it is also accompanied by a possible shift in electronic energy level.


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edit 7-17-06 noon EDT:
oooo i'm soo sorry nick... i must've made a boo boo. can you point it out? because i don't think you can. A: you're not smart enough. B: i'm right, even though the language i use is simplified. so if you want jargon here you go:
what is the wavefunction of an electron? exactly. does that wavefunction allow vibrations? exactly. you need an external object to have a PE contribution to the wavefunction and without a PE contribution you can't have a vibration (QM or classical).

and actually fredrick carley is right ... vibrational excitation/relaxation is most prominent in atom-atom bonds.

Answer 3

In a TV tube an electron beam impinges on rare earth phosphors. the kinetic energy of the electrons causes the light (electromagnetic wave). Electrons are always in motion. The term vibration is not generally applied to them because they have so little mass. Atoms and molecules vibrate.

Answer 4

True. I've got a 50/50 chance of being right, after all.

Answer 5

That's what I always thought more or less, but what do I know.

Answer 6

yup--make sure you remove the vibrator from your rear after you orgasm.

Answer 7

t

Answer 8

Yes, I guess you could say that.

Answer 9

true

Answer 10

T