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ELI5: What happens if you squeeze electrons too close to an atom? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by Damaskox@lemmy.world to c/ELI5@kbin.social

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I've understood that electrons move in a 3D field outside the nucleus and that they are quite far away from the nucleus itself (in relation to the atom scale).

What would happen if you pushed them out of this moving field of theirs, closer to the nucleus?

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[–] Spuddaccino@reddthat.com 2 points 1 year ago

Let's talk about orbital mechanics for a bit, and we'll get back to electrons and protons.

Orbits happen because two objects are attracted to each other, but are moving too quickly in relation to each to actually collide with the other object. The faster the objects are moving, the wider the orbit, because they're missing by a larger amount.

In order for an electron to get closer to a proton, you have to either increase the pull between them, such as with an electrical field, or slow down the electron somehow. Your answer depends on which of these things is happening.

If you push on it with something like an electrical field, the moment you stop pushing the orbit will correct itself, unless you pushed it so hard you got the electron to collide with a proton in the nucleus, in which case you get a neutron and a neutrino emitted. At some point in the future, it'll probably decay into a proton and an electron again.

If you somehow just slow down the electron, you get a closer orbital shell, and it'll stay there until something changes it's velocity again. If you slow it down enough that it hits a proton in the nucleus, the same thing happens as above.