Electrons orbiting atoms move at a certain speed now, right? What if they slow down?

Question

i do not know if the concept of all electrons orbiting an atom moves at a certain speed, it's best if u can help me answer it. If they are moving at a certain speed, what will happen if they slow down?If they are not, moving at a certain speed, what will happen if the speeds of electrons are changed, or can they be changed?

Answer 1

Heat does not affect electron energy levels. It affects molecular energy; more heat means more molecular vibration (more energy).

Magnetism affects electron energy levels however. A lab experiment of the Zeeman Effect clearly shows this. Using magnetic flux, energy is zapped into the electrons of some plasma gas. With this absorbed energy, the recipient electrons collapse to inner shells of probability density. They do this because higher energy equates to closer shells and lower energy equates to farther shells.

Although the Bohr model (electrons like planets around a nucleus) is quite dated, the idea that the inner shells of probability have higher energy levels and, therefore, frequencies is similar to the concept that the faster revolving electrons are in the inner orbits of the Bohr model. So, despite its antiquity, the Bohr model is still useful to (inaccurately) describe the energy-to-orbit relationship.

The energized electrons soon pop back out to their natural state outer shells. When they do this, they release the excess higher energy as photons (light). These can be seen on a spectrometer as a shift in discrete light bands.

Bottom line, the speed of electrons can be changed...we do it all the time in physics labs.

Answer 2

NO.

electrons do NOT orbit the nucleus. You need a crash course in quantum mechanics my friend.

The electrons orbiting a nucleus like planets orbiting the sun is a useful model for early stages but its very - well totally in fact - inaccurate. Electrons spread out in waves of probability, or interfere with electrons in other universes - what they don't do is orbit a nucleus at a certain speed.

Answer 3

Good question. It greatly puzzled scientists like Bohr and Rutherford about 100 years ago. Google them. Basically the answer is quantum mechanics. Using a model like an orbiting satellite with centrifugal force balancing the electric force (or rather the elecric force providing the centripetal force to make the electron accelerate in a circle...) does not work because classically, the accelerating electron would radiate energy and then spiral in to the nucleus.

Answer 4

The speed of the electrons can be determined by the amount of energy they receive. When heat is applied they will speed up because there is more energy applied to the electron.

Answer 5

No, they do not orbit.

The orbital model of the atom was abandonned over 100 years ago.

Answer 6

Google uncertainty principle.