The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle - Atomic structure and the periodic table

Chemistry Explain provide notes about Atomic structure and the periodic table today we discuss “The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle” Inorganic Chemistry

Calculations on the Bohr model of an atom require precise information about the position of an electron an(f its velocity. It is difficult to measure both quantities accurately at the same time. An electron is too small to see and may only be observed if perturbed. For example, we could hit the electron with another particle such as a photon or an electron, or we could apply an electric or magnetic force to the electron. This will inevitably change the position of the electron, or its velocity and direction. Heisenberg stated that the more precisely we cart define the position of an electron. the less certain we are able to define its velocity. and vice versa. If l:!..x is the uncertainty in defining the position and !:!.. v the uncertainty in the velocity, the uncertainty principle may be expressed mathematically as:
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where h = Planck's constant = 6.6262 x 10- 3⁴ J s. This implies that it is impossible to know both the position and the velocity exactly. The concept of an electron following a definite orbit, where its position and velocity are known exactly, must therefore be replaced by the probability of finding an electron in a particular position, or in a particular volume of space. The Schrodinger wave equation provides a satisfactory description of an atom in these terms. Solutions to the wave equation are
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called wave functions and given the symbol Ψ. The probability of finding an electron at a point in space whose coordinates are x, y and z is Ψ² (x, y, z).