

Actual pictures of electron densities (orbitals) - rms
http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2009/09/16/real_electrons.php

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nopassrecover
I've seen this same picture with different articles 3 times in the last month
at least on HN.

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m0th87
I don't get how this stuff works. My understanding is that it was impossible
to "see" electrons because they're so small that photons can't bounce off of
them. How does this work? Also, how do they color it? Is it artificially
added? I can't see why it would be naturally blue.

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lucifer
Where is the electron in that picture? It is "the electron density around one
nucleus".

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grinich
Finding the electron is tricky business. That question goes deep into quantum
mechanics.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_principle>

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stuntgoat
I read that electrons inside us are moving around 4.9 million miles per hour.

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dhimes
You are a little off-topic here, but you may no know it. The number you are
referring to is (I think, but your number is a little high...) for the average
(specifically, the r.m.s speed) of an electron which is one of many
(classical) things all at the same temperature (that is,in thermal
equilibrium), at the temperature of the human body.

If you're not familiar with these concepts, re-read the above but skip the
stuff in parentheses.

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stuntgoat
Thank you for letting me know I am a bit off topic. I had just read this:

<http://education.jlab.org/qa/electron_01.html>

and converted to MPH. I was contributing something I thought was of interest
and very much on topic.

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dhimes
You might like this one better:
[http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_fast_do_electrons_move_between...](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_fast_do_electrons_move_between_orbitals)

