Question:
Electrons don't continuously lose energy as they travel. They can only do so when changing orbit. Why?
?
2009-06-30 23:53:29 UTC
When electrons move their gravitational potential energy changes as well as "h" changes in m.g.h so why not lose energy?
Six answers:
oldprof
2009-07-03 10:29:36 UTC
TM is correct. Electrons are quanta, as in quantum mechanics; so their behavior cannot be explained in simple intuitive terms like gravity and orbits.



For example, electrons don't "orbit" as you put it. If anything, they sort of pop in and out of existence around the nucleus of their parent atom. One might think of them as a cloud of electrons popping in and out of existence around the core of the atom. And the volume of space where each electron is mostly likely to be located depends on its intrinsic energy level.



But... this is important... electrons can, probabilistically speaking, actually pop into and out of the nucleus or out on the rim of our known universe. That would be a rare event for sure, but there is a finite probability of that happening for each electron.



The intrinsic rest mass energy of each electron remains fixed, but its kinetic energy (more properly its momentum) fluctuates because of the so-called quantum jitters. All quanta pop in and out of existence and according to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle [See source.] their energy, time, location, and velocity can only be treated probabilistically.



As a quanta, gravity has little if any effect on electrons. We know, for example, it takes the gravity of super galaxies or massive white dwarf stars to affect photons, which are also quanta. So changes in location, which are momentary at best, do not alter the potential energies due to gravity pull from the nucleus.
anonymous
2009-07-01 00:04:15 UTC
I'm not so sure electrons change gravitational potential energy when they move. They have almost no mass, and little response to gravity. An electron at rest is more greatly effected by electrical fields in the area than any gravitational gradient. When an electron gains energy, it enters a state where it is less tightly bound to the positive charges around it.
Bandagadde S
2009-07-01 00:30:04 UTC
I don't think that the gravitational force will come in to picture as it is negligible. If you are thinking of the electrons in orbit round a nucleus, Bhor's theory of the structure of the atom takes into consideration the Coulomb force between the charge on the nucleus and the electron. It assumes that there are stationary orbits. Electrons in these orbits do not lose energy.They do so only when changing the orbit. After all an orbit specifies particular energy level. Experimental measurements of the emitted radiations confirm the above assumptions are true.
fredrickson
2016-11-03 15:27:18 UTC
In classical physics, the electron will lose potential. In quantum mechanics, it substitute into postulated that the orbits are reliable electron does not lose potential. it extremely is the beginning up of Bohr style of atom.
T M
2009-06-30 23:58:45 UTC
you may get some answers such as only certain energy states are allowed, energy states are quantized, etc., etc. But that's not truly a why explanation. A satisfying why answer cannot be given in such a short space.
Luna
2009-07-01 00:03:27 UTC
im not an expert but, the way i see it



think if your running down a road, then you turn around real fast, it does matter how fast, you still slow down just to turn and go the other way.



i could be wrong but thats my guess lol


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