The electron spins and move round the nucleus, what is the source of this energy that they consume?

Question

For any work energy is required, can there be a situation when this energy supply becomes zero? or the moving electrons have consumed all the energy and the structure of atoms or molecules and the matter collapses. There cannot be perpetual motion without utilising energy. Newtons law of motion holds good in vaccum only....? The electrons say in silicon, a constitutent of quartz do not move in vaccum, so from where does this energy comes? and can this energy be tapped for commercial utilisation, remember we have trillions and trillions of atoms (in a few gram of different matter) all around us and we do not have to use fission or fussion techniques to create energy by splitting or by fusing nucleus...
If we can unlock this energy riddle of the moving electrons, may be one day our progeny can live in a better world with total energy security. I wish we can do it soon..

Answer 1

The electrons don't consume any energy, only preserve it.
There is no air inside atoms, so no air resistance. The model with electrons orbiting the nucleus, just like the planets around the sun, could hold true, if it was just for the mechanics.
The problem is that a charged object (electron) that is accelerated (rotation is acceleration), gives off radiation. This radiation would tap the electrons energy, but we know this is not happening. This is the reason why they say that the electrons are not moving, but instead say that the electrons are distributed around the nucleus with a certain probability to be at any particular place at any time.

School science doesn't always teach the most correct model, but the one that is easiest to understand.

Answer 2

Matter and energy do not "die".

They can switch roles. Matter can become energy or energy can become matter; but neither can truly be destroyed or used up or consumed; they can only be translated , eventually into the OTHER.

The energy of the electron is not "consumed"; it doesn't run down like a clock. Even a clock's energy isn't used up. Its just converted into friction (another form of energy).

We use the energy of electrons to produce energy every day. You probably have a flourescent light in your house. A current of electric energy is passed into a glass tube with a gas like argon in it. The argon electrons get excited and emit light. So the energy of these electrons is being converted into another form, light.

Nothing is really lost, just converted.

Answer 3

They're not moving around the nucleus. They spread out in a 'probability cloud'. You need to read up on quantum mechanics.

Also, just because there is a force doesn't mean we can derive power from it, gravity is one example. Magnetism is another - they don't consume energy. The laws that govern them are built in to the fabric of the universe.