Learn more physics!
Q:
how long does it take for an electron to circl a nucleus?
- Anonymous (age 7)
george elementary school, holland, PA
A:
It's very strange, but in an atom an electron doesn't have to actually
circle the nucleus at all. It's hard to describe the way the electron
acts, but it's something like sitting in a spread-out cloud around the
nucleus.
Some electrons can form little clouds which do move around the
nucleus. When that happens, they typically go around in about one
million billionth of a second!
(published on 10/22/2007)
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