Forces translated to orbits

[ihwip]

Another thread got me thinking. When a planet orbits a star and loses energy, its orbit decreases and moves closer to the star. (on average) If one were to model the interior forces of atoms as if they were gravity, how far would their orbits be etc? I am not really able to find anywhere that shows the exact energies involved between the strong forces, weak forces and electron clouds. I know the various particles don't actually orbit but it might be useful as a visual aid. Is this kind of translation possible?

 

[origin]

Another thread got me thinking. When a planet orbits a star and loses energy, its orbit decreases and moves closer to the star. (on average) If one were to model the interior forces of atoms as if they were gravity, how far would their orbits be etc? I am not really able to find anywhere that shows the exact energies involved between the strong forces, weak forces and electron clouds. I know the various particles don't actually orbit but it might be useful as a visual aid. Is this kind of translation possible?

The electrons are bound to the atom by the differences in charge between the nucleus and the electrons. Strong and weak forces do not enter into the picture. Since quantum effects control the orbit of the electron it is a far different picture than an orbit of a planet. There are only certain orbits that an electron can occupy in an atom, if a photon of the 'right' energy transfers that energy to the electron it will jump to a 'higher' orbit. If the electron were to jump back down to the lower orbit it would emit a photon of a specific energy.
The orbit of a planet is a continuum where the orbit of an electron is only allowed in certain discrete areas.

 

[drwayne]

Note that electron orbitals can be shaped much differently than planetary orbitals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_orbital

Wayne

 

[CalliArcale]

Note that electron orbitals can be shaped much differently than planetary orbitals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_orbital

Wayne

That's putting it mildly; an electron orbital can have several lobes with no physical connection to one another. The electron nevertheless passes between these lobes, apparently without traversing the intervening space. Really, electron orbitals have nothing in common with orbits in celestial mechanics, apart from the fact that the electron goes more or less around the nucleus.

 

[drwayne]

And of course, some orbitals spend a finite amount of time within the nucleus, which would ruin a satellite's day.