How can the probability of finding an electron inside the nucleus be non zero?

Question

We have worked out the probability density of finding an electron inside the nucleus for 1s and 2s orbitals and found it to be non zero.If its true then shouldnt the electron and proton collide and annhilate each other at one time?? Using Murphys Law it is bound to happen that an Atom will collapse at one point of time is nt it ??

Answer 1

Electrons and protons cannot annihilate--they are not mutual antiparticles. You seem to be thinking of what happens when a relatively negative object and a relatively positive object come into contact--ZAP! This is not the annihilation of charge. It is the redistribution and release of energy. There are just as many electrons and protons as there were before.

The electron in the 1s orbital is as close as it can ever get to the nucleus--there is no energy to be had, hence no radiative "spark". To think it would is to mistakenly imagine the electron in its ground state as a point particle. It's not--in this state it acts like a standing wave. This is because the atom is so small compared to the intrinsic (Compton) wavelength of the electron.

Likewise the 2-s electron in a multi-electron atom is in its lowest possible state--and this is a standing wave, rather than a point-particle state.

The contact interaction of the electrons with the nucleus is a measurable thing: it causes part of the hyperfine correction to the electron energies. So the s-state energies everyone measures actually have this "overlap" built in.

Answer 2

When ur talking about orbitals u need to understand the presence of an electron cloud near the nucleus and not an electron orbitting round it.So there might be a possibility of finding one and u need not panic the true atomic structure is yet to be discovered.Every atomic structure had some flaws in it,if u can find the true answer to ur question u would discover the atomic structure.

Answer 3

The PROBABILITY DENSITY, tells you the probability _per area_.
PROBABILITY, on the other hand, is probability for _a certain area_.
There's a subtle but distinct difference.

The area in the centre of the orbital (inside the nucleus) is much smaller compared to say, the total area of the edges of the orbital.

So even if the probability density at the centre of the orbital > the probability density at the edges of the orbital,
==> there's much higher probability of finding the electron at the edges than at the centre.

In fact, the probability of finding the electron at the centre of the orbital is so small, that for most practical purposes, it does not happen.

Answer 4

Good question.

We have still not seen an atom and we are talking about sub-atomic particles, hence all these doubts.

I was initially awed to hear that every thing in the universe is made up of atoms and every atom has nucleus and electrons go around it.

and the electrons go around the nucleus for ever .......... wow how amazing.

BTW, if electron meets a proton, i do not think they annihilate each other.

Answer 5

Electrons and Protons are not like matter and anti-matter, if they collide, they do not annihilate.
If an electron and proton collide with sufficient energy they will form a neutron and a neutrino. This process happens within neutron stars.

Answer 6

How can the probability of finding an earth inside the sun be non zero? first we should consider about this,if yes then yes and if no then no. as there is a same pettern ripeted in all univerce, for jok,boys (electron) and girls (nucleus )