Chapter 11: Introduction to Modern Atomic Theory

When we think of an electron as a wave and NOT as a particle we do not know how the electron moves, we do not know exactly where it is in the atom, we only know that there is a probability of finding the electron in a three dimensional region of space...called an orbital.

The electron occupies an orbital around the nucleus. To get the electron to move from an orbital of low energy to an orbital of higher energy the electron must absorb energy (or a photon of light).

In the Bohr model we described the electron as occuping orbits, or levels. When we say the electron is in the n = 1 level we know this is lowest energy level, and this level is closest to the nucleus.

But in our quantum mechanical model the concept of levels become more complicated.

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