Why don't electron fall into the nucleus and from where does it continuously get energy to move in its orbit?

Question

I have heard that electrons don't fall into neucleus because they are moving at high speeds, but from where do they get the energy to move at such high speeds and why doesn't this energy diminish.

Answer 1

What you have heard isn't really true. The electron structure of an atom arises from two principles:
- Uncertainty principle, which says (among other things) that you cannot determine both an electron's position and momentum with arbitrary accuracy.
- Pauli exclusion principle, which says you cannot have two electrons in exactly the same orbital state.
If you start with a bare nucleus (say, oxygen), and toss electrons at it, eight will stick. The first two will be in an orbital shaped like a spherical cloud. The next two will be in an orbital of the same shape, but bigger. The next two will be in an orbital with a cross-section sort of like a figure 8, as will the last two (with the figure 8 oriented differently). No electron will have a definite position in any of this: there is simply a larger probability of finding an electron in the specified orbitals than finding one elsewhere.
As the electrons enter these orbitals, they will lose energy and emit photons with specific energies.

Answer 2

The orbital level of an electron is simply a function of temperature.
That is the reason why it does not kiss the proton or nucleous.
The same applies to why atoms or molecule have a specific array in a crystal. Temperature is the detemining factor in all atomic structures.
If a decrease of temperature of the atom ocurrs the electron would aproach a smaller orbit as it does so in order to maintain rotational equilibrium because it lost mass it will experience an increase of velocity.
Theoretically if temperature was to drop so low that the electron is moving close to the speed of light ,is a condition which I call the frozen atom.The electron has reached its smallest orbital.
At this point the mass of the electron is at minimum and its velocity is at near light speed.

Answer 3

Yikes!

The answer is quantum mechanics.

If only classical mechanics and E&M applied, the electrons of an atom would continuously radiate energy (for a brief time) and collapse into the nucleus.

But quantum mechanics hypothesizes that a particle held in a confined space can only have quantized states with quantized energies. There also exists a non zero "ground" state for the electron & its energy cannot go below that.

The other answers above refer to "states" as does classical mechanics. The key is that the states are quantized, and in-between energy levels are not allowed.

Answer 4

There is no friction for electrons, they never lose the energy they have from orbiting because the energy of their state never changes. Well unless it changes orbitsls... in which case it gives off a photon or absorbs a photon, corresponding to an increase or decrease in energy of position...
There's this cool thing called interia :-) wikipedia it

"Gravitational energy. Look it up."

That is SOOOOOOOOO WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gravitation has a next to zero effect on electron orbitals! It is disregarded in almost all calculations!

Answer 5

acc to neil's bohr energy of an elentron is constant .electrons do not fall into the nucleus coz ther is a constant centripetal and centrifugal force acting between electrons and nucleus

Answer 6

electrons are accelerated in an electric field since they are electrically charged..as the positive nucleus gives even a few volts to the electron it causes the the electrons to move in high speed due to its extremely small mass.. so it is bec. of its small mass that makes it move in high speed..

Answer 7

Gravitational energy. Look it up.