4 ms·
> light to travel a micrometer or so. The Bohr radius is around 5e-11 m, while the bacteria is around 1e-6 m. That seems like a gulf of difference. What's ta
by imglorp 10y ago
> light to travel a micrometer or so.
The Bohr radius is around 5e-11 m, while the bacteria is around 1e-6 m. That seems like a gulf of difference. What's taking it so long?
- btilly 10y agoI'm qualified to quote original sources found from Wikipedia, not to explain them. :-) That said, in the Bohr model, electrons move at around 1% of the velocity of light. Multiply by pi for half the circumference, and you're in the right general ballpark that the wave takes this long to propagate both ways around the atom and then set up interference with itself resulting in the new orbital. (A highly inaccurate picture of what is really happening, but it gives basic intuition.)