Quantum Mechanics has changed the thinking of where is an electron since the days of classical electron theory. In the classical theory, we think of an electron as a particle that orbits about the nucleus like the moon orbiting the earth. The lowest orbit has two electrons (1s2), the next orbit has eight (2s2 + 2p6), etc. Now, it is general agreed that we can only speak of probability -- the probability of finding an electron at a particular location. The Noble laureate, Richard Feynman, coined the term "electron cloud" to describe the distribution of the probability function. Perhaps, the question of finding the position of the electron in an atom becomes the question of finding the distance from the nucleus with the highest probability of finding a specific orbital electron. I have included two related links for further reading. The subject is too complex to be covered with one posting -- it takes a few college courses, at least.
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There is no exact location of the electron. The electron is outside the nucleus orbiting the center of the atom. You can't see it because it rotates so fast and is so small. So we can't indicate the exact location of the electron.
Quantum numbers provide information about the energy, position, and spin of an electron in an atom. They help us understand the arrangement of electrons in different orbitals and predict their behavior within the atom.
When you add an electron to an atom, the atom becomes negatively charged and is called an anion. When you subtract an electron from an atom, the atom becomes positively charged and is called a cation.
When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a positively charged ion.
An atom with one extra electron is called an anion, while an atom with one missing electron is called a cation.
When a metal atom loses an electron, it loses energy. This energy corresponds to the difference in energy levels between the electron's initial position and its final position outside the atom.
An electron's exact position cannot be pinpointed.
The model is applied to movement and position of electrons in the atom.
If there is an extra electron in the valence level then the electron is in the excited state and is carrying more energy. If the atom is normal then it is in the ground stte and contains low energy.
In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus. To find the position of an electron in a neutral atom, you would need to consider its probability distribution in the electron cloud or orbital around the nucleus, which is described by quantum mechanics. The exact position of an electron in an atom cannot be precisely determined due to the wave-particle duality of electrons.
There is no exact location of the electron. The electron is outside the nucleus orbiting the center of the atom. You can't see it because it rotates so fast and is so small. So we can't indicate the exact location of the electron.
Quantum numbers provide information about the energy, position, and spin of an electron in an atom. They help us understand the arrangement of electrons in different orbitals and predict their behavior within the atom.
The cloud is the area in which the electron may be. As observation changes the position of quantum scale objects, certainty of its location cannot be known.
The position of an atom in a molecule, particularly its valence electron configuration, determines the number of bonds it can form. Atoms in the same group of the periodic table typically have similar valence electron arrangements, which influence their bonding behavior. For instance, carbon, with four valence electrons, can form four covalent bonds, while oxygen, with six, typically forms two. Thus, the position of an atom correlates with its bonding capacity based on its electron configuration.
The phrase "quantum mechanical model of the atom" describes how the position of an electron relates to its energy. In this model, electrons are described by probability distributions called orbitals, which represent the likelihood of finding an electron at a particular location. The energy of an electron is quantized, meaning it can only exist in certain discrete energy levels within an atom.
Gain of an electron transform the atom in an anion.Loss of an electron transform the atom in a cation.
The kinetic energy of an electron in an atom is related to its position within the atomic structure by the principle that as the electron moves closer to the nucleus, its kinetic energy increases. This is because the electron experiences a stronger attraction to the positively charged nucleus, leading to higher speed and kinetic energy. Conversely, as the electron moves farther away from the nucleus, its kinetic energy decreases.