A charged particle under acceleration should radiate energy. Since an electron revovling around the nucleus constantly changes diraction, it is constantly acceleration and it should be constantly losing energy. As it loses energy, shouldn't it be getting closer to the nucleus and eventually collide with it? What is wrong with this?
2007-10-29 13:19:09 · 2 answers · asked by ashlee052690 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Classically, it would while radiating away its energy. However, physics is not classical on that scale. According the quantum mechanics, the electron is described by a wave with a minimum frequency (like the principle harmonic of a guitar string). Since energy is proportional to frequency, it has a minimum energy below which it cannot fall.
2007-10-29 16:06:57 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wonderful question indeed.
As Dr. R says, electron is stable in the atom, it does not even lose energy so it does not fall right into the nucleus. The how and why is very hard to explain. The Bohr Model assumes electron is a wave which has its de'broglie wavelength, early quantum mechanics (as far as I know) did not bother much with the stability and quantum field theory considers the electron as a field. All of them makes the electron have a stable place in the atom but how and why is still a question.
2007-10-29 16:35:05 · answer #2 · answered by guguma 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋