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In classical mechanics, there is a famous effect called Sling-shot effect (the link will support a demonstration), by which the satellite orbiting the huge planet will steal some kinetic energy from the planet (combining the laws of conservation of energy and momentum ).

So my naive question is: Is there any corresponding effect can exist in the atom? I mean the electron plays the role of satellite and the nucleus plays the role of a planet, or electron can steal the speed of nucleus (I believe the conservation of energy and momentum will still work in an atom)?

BLAZE
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Jack
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1 Answers1

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There are a couple of points to consider. Firstly a spaceship using a slingshot maneuver can take kinetic energy from a planet, but not from the Sun. That is bacause in the centre of mass frame of the Solar System the Sun is (almost) stationary so it has no kinetic energy to steal.

In the atom analogy the nucleus is the Sun, so an electron could not take kinetic energy from it. The analogous process would be two electrons slingshotting each other and exchanging kinetic energy. Even though electrons repel each other (unlike gravity which is always attractive) this process could happen if the electrons behaved like orbiting bodies.

The problem is that the second point we need to consider is that electrons do not behave like orbiting bodies. The electrons do not whizz around the nucleus like little balls. They are delocalised over the whole atom and they do not have a position in the way that macroscopic objects have a position.

John Rennie
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