The Wave Mechanical Model of Atomic Structure

Although shown to have some serious flaws and long since abandoned, the Bohr model laid the groundwork for the more sophisticated theories of atomic structure that are accepted today and introduced the all-important concept that only specific energy states are allowed for an electron in an atom. Like electromagnetic radiation, electrons in atoms are now visualized as having a dual wave/particle nature. 

They are treated theoretically by the wave mediamcal modd as standing waves 

y (Greek psi ) is the wave function, a function of the electron s energy and the coordinates in space where it may be found H is an operator composed of mathematical operations acting on y, and is the sum of the kinetic energy due to the motion of the electron and the potential energy of the mutual attraction between the electron and the nucleus. 

With its motion governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, it is not possible to know exactly where an electron is relative to an atom s nucleus at any specific 

Integration of for any small volume segment relative to the nucleus gives the probability of finding an electron in that volume segment. 

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