Posted on 08/05/2014 6:10:16 AM PDT by servo1969
It all makes a lot more sense, at least to me, when you realize that the “electron cloud” configurations that we see (1s, 2s, 2p, etc) are identical to patterns produced by standing waves. Which shouldn’t be surprising, since, quantum mechanics is just an offshoot of standard wave mechanics.
The electrons can cross paths, collaborate, be “shared”, etc, because we are talking about how waves interact, and not really about how some tiny particles interact. The difference between particle-waves and say, ocean waves, is that when the particle-waves interact, they can influence the position of what is producing the wave. So, the center of the wave (what we would think of as the electron “particle”) can be moved by the interactions of the waves that “particle” is emitting.
This allows phenomena like feedback loops to develop, and all the complex interactions of particles, atoms, molecules can develop from there. The waves naturally tend towards harmonious, stable configurations to oscillate with a minimum of interference, and while attempting to reach those configurations, they move their “particles” along with them into the complex configurations that we know.
“Parts” of them “touch” in forming bonds. The real problem though is that particles are composed of other particles, so that given various energy levels, how many of them actually touch each other?
“Touching” is a macroscopic notion that has little meaning in the sub-microscopic world. According to QM everything essentially “touches” everything else.
I see what you did there
Yes, thinking about an electrons in terms of a cloud of probability can be very helpful in many ways.
“According to QM everything essentially “touches” everything else.”
Yes, exactly right. Particles are not localized phenomena. We can only point to the “center” of a particle to estimate its location. We can’t ever point to the outer edge of a particle and say where it ends.
Is it the Coulomb Barrier that prevents the nuclei from actually touching?
If so then it’s probably a good thing.
Don’t touch it, don’t talk about touching it, don’t write songs about touching it!
“How about forces “contact” as described by his definition, but masses do not, unless they fuse or some such.”
Yes, or to say it another way, bosons can occupy the same space in the same quantum state, but fermions cannot.
Initially, but once you get past that, there is still the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
Found the movie quote from Walk the line:
Jerry Lee Lewis: God gave us a great big apple, see, and He said don’t touch it. He didn’t say touch it once in a while; He didn’t say take a nibble when you’re hungry; He said don’t touch it! Don’t think about touchin’it, don’t sing about touchin’ it, don’t *think* about singin’ about touchin’ it!
Saved for later...
I think it’s the way you describe in metals. A mess of electrons swinning around everywhere.
My horse is well in check. I’ve long been amused at the adduced dark matter needed to make the expanding universe calculations work out.
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