EPISODE · Apr 19, 2021 · 3 MIN
Why are electrons never in between orbitals?
from Question of the Week, from the Naked Scientists · host Dr Chris Smith
Quantum hats on for this week's 'exciting' question! Listener Mejnun says: "I have learned at school that when an electron excites it jumps to another orbital around the nucleus. If an electron jumps an orbital you would expect that at that moment it can be found between the two orbitals. My teacher told me that this is never the case. I can not wrap my head around it. Does the particle just disappear in one orbital and appear in the other? Is this instant, is the particle in the other orbital the same? Can you please help me to understand this?" Phil Sansom asked physicist Ankita Anirban to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
What this episode covers
Quantum hats on for this week's 'exciting' question! Listener Mejnun says: "I have learned at school that when an electron excites it jumps to another orbital around the nucleus. If an electron jumps an orbital you would expect that at that moment it can be found between the two orbitals. My teacher told me that this is never the case. I can not wrap my head around it. Does the particle just disappear in one orbital and appear in the other? Is this instant, is the particle in the other orbital the same? Can you please help me to understand this?" Phil Sansom asked physicist Ankita Anirban to... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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Why are electrons never in between orbitals?
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