Why can the radius of an atom cannot be measured directly?

Answer 1

the uncertainty principal means any measurement made on a system will, in fact, change the system itself and introduce a fundamental uncertainty into measurements of all other properties of that system. the product of the uncertainty in the position and momentum is greater than, or at best equal to , h/4pi. this uncertainty is, in fact, about 100 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom, so this principal will not even allow us to determine if the electron is within the atom!

Answer 2

The radius of an atom cannot be determined precisely due to the following reasons:- 1.There is no sharp boundary of an atom. The probability of finding an electron never becomes exactly zero even at large distances from the nucleus. 2.The electronic probability configuration is affected by neighbouring atoms. For this reason, the size of an atom may change from one compound to another.

Answer 3

Because you cannot determine the location of the electrons that surround the nucleus.

Chawad says: Simply because it is way too small!

Answer 4

Because it is so small.

As we invent more powerful microscopes, we discover smaller and smaller things, like Hadrons and such...

Answer 5

Because we don't know what it is (yet). And it obviously is not "matter" (as we know it).

Answer 6

Gh