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Electrons do not orbit. For the simple case of an electron in a hydrogen atom, energy-stable wavefunctions are products of three separate functions: exponentia
by frutiger 5y ago
Electrons do not orbit.
For the simple case of an electron in a hydrogen atom, energy-stable wavefunctions are products of three separate functions: exponential function, a laguerre polynomial function and a spherical harmonic.
- Sharlin 5y agoPresumably the GP meant orbitals.
- robotsteve2 5y agoIt's an important distinction. A lot of people would like to think electrons orbit the nucleus like planets orbit a star.
- Sharlin 5y agoYes, but someone thinking in terms of the Bohr model would not ask is the orbits are (described by) spherical harmonics.