Question on classical electron radius

In summary, the conversation discussed the concept of the electron being a point particle with no spatial extent, and the idea of modeling it as a non-point particle being considered ill-conceived and counter-pedagogic. There were also remarks about the classical radius of the electron and how it is described quantum mechanically by a wave function rather than a point. It was mentioned that wiki may not always be a reliable source, but it does explain the concept of a point particle being complicated by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
  • #1
Jianphys17
66
2
Hi at everyone, why on wiki there is written:
" According to modern understanding, the electron is a point particle with a point charge and no spatial extent. Attempts to model the electron as a non-point particle are considered ill-conceived and counter-pedagogic "
I don't understand this that mean..
 
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  • #2
It means it has 0 size in terms of volume, it's treated as a point, like a point on a graph. Whether or not that is actually true is unknown.
 
  • #3
What is known for sure is that it is an Elementary Particle ... (May be that's what they were aiming at expaining ... Not sure though)
Whether it is a point particle or not is a different story ... and a long story.
Two remarks to think about:
1. What about the Classical Radius of the Electron? ... (e.g. E&M-wise)
2. Quantum Mechanically it is described by a wave function, not a point ...
Jianphys17 said:
According to modern understanding
?!
Note: wiki is not always reliable.
 
  • #4
Stavros Kiri said:
What is known for sure is that it is an Elementary Particle ... (May be that's what they were aiming at expaining ... Not sure though)
It may indeed be the case. See 'Point particle' in wiki. In particular:
"Elementary particles are sometimes called "point particles", but this is in a different sense than discussed above."
and
"In quantum mechanics, the concept of a point particle is complicated by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, because even an elementary particle, with no internal structure, occupies a nonzero volume."

I think that explains a lot (by wiki itself).
 

Related to Question on classical electron radius

1. What is the classical electron radius?

The classical electron radius, denoted by re, is a fundamental physical constant that represents the size of an electron in classical physics. It is defined as the distance between the center of an electron and its outermost boundary, assuming it to be a perfect sphere. Its value is approximately 2.8179 x 10-15 meters.

2. How is the classical electron radius calculated?

The classical electron radius is calculated using the classical electron radius formula, re = e2 / (4πε0mec2), where e is the elementary charge, ε0 is the permittivity of free space, me is the mass of an electron, and c is the speed of light.

3. What is the significance of the classical electron radius?

The classical electron radius is significant because it is used in various calculations in classical and relativistic physics, such as the calculation of the Thomson scattering cross section and the calculation of the Compton wavelength. It also plays a role in the Bohr model of the atom and in the study of electron scattering.

4. Is the classical electron radius the same as the actual size of an electron?

No, the classical electron radius is an approximation and does not represent the actual size of an electron. In reality, electrons do not have a well-defined boundary and are considered to be point particles in quantum mechanics. The classical electron radius is simply a useful concept in classical physics for calculations and theoretical models.

5. How does the classical electron radius relate to the size of an atom?

The classical electron radius does not directly relate to the size of an atom. However, it is used in the calculation of the Bohr radius, which represents the average distance between the electron and the nucleus in a hydrogen atom. The Bohr radius is approximately 5.2918 x 10-11 meters, which is much larger than the classical electron radius and reflects the fact that electrons are not confined to a specific boundary in an atom.

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