Classical Versus Quantum Mechanical Orbits
Most recent answer: 06/07/2013
- Ankit (age 17)
Sagar,mp India
Dear Ankit,
The 1s orbital you refer to is the lowest energy quantum mechanical solution to Schoedinger's equation. It is not a classical orbit in the sense that it does not describe the path of an electron revolving around a nucleus but a probability of finding the electron at a particular point in space. That particular quantum state carries no angular momentum, others do. So, in that sense it has no relation to a classical orbit where there is always some angular momentum. The classical Keplerian orbits of a gravitational 1/r2 force are ellipses with the the Sun at one of the focii.
LeeH
p.s. To make a classical-like Keplerian orbit for something small, you have to put together many quantum states with slightly different energies. /mw
(published on 06/07/2013)