Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle states that an electron spends ______ of its time inside an atomic orbital.
Question 19 options:
a) 10%
b) 25%
c) 50%
d) 90%
e) 100%
c) 50%
The correct answer is option e) 100%. According to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, an electron does not have a well-defined position and velocity simultaneously. Therefore, it is not possible to determine exactly how much time an electron spends inside an atomic orbital. However, it is safe to say that the electron is present within the orbital 100% of the time.
To determine the answer to this question, we need to understand the concept of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and how it relates to electron behavior in atomic orbitals.
Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle states that it is impossible to simultaneously know the exact position and momentum of a particle. In the case of an electron within an atomic orbital, it means that we cannot determine its precise location and its momentum at the same time.
The concept of the electron "spending time" inside an atomic orbital refers to the probability of finding the electron in a particular region of space around the nucleus. The electron behaves more like a wave rather than a particle, and the atomic orbital describes the area where the electron is most likely to be found.
In this case, the options provided represent different percentages of time that the electron is expected to spend inside the atomic orbital. We need to select the option that best corresponds to the behavior described by Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.
According to the concept of electron behavior in atomic orbitals, the electron does not spend 100% of its time inside an atomic orbital. This is because there is always some uncertainty or probability associated with its position. Therefore, we can eliminate option e) 100%.
Similarly, we can eliminate option d) 90% as it implies a high degree of certainty in the electron's position within the atomic orbital, which is not consistent with Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.
The remaining options are a) 10%, b) 25%, and c) 50%. In general, the electron density within an atomic orbital decreases as we move away from the nucleus. This means that the electron is more likely to be found closer to the nucleus than farther away.
Considering this information, it is reasonable to assume that the electron is distributed more densely around the nucleus. Therefore, we can conclude that the electron spends most of its time within the inner regions of the atomic orbital. The option that best reflects this behavior is a) 10%, as it implies that the electron spends a relatively small fraction of its time in the outer regions of the atomic orbital.
Thus, the answer to the question is a) 10%.