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In the Stern-Garlach experiment the silver atoms are splits into spin up and spin down in a inhomogeneous magnetic field and latter the culprit is identified as the spin states of the 47th electron of the silver atom but there's also 47 protons too so why don't they also affects the experiment?

Qmechanic
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user6760
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1 Answers1

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The magnetic moment of a proton is only a thousandth or so of that of an electron. Consequently it will have very little effect on the atom's trajectory through the inhomogeneous magnetic field.

mike stone
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