So today, I was just wondering if Spin no.(Quantum numbers) represented spin of electron around the nucleus or its own axis, basically because I forgot. Upon googling, I found out it spins around it’s own axis. But then I realised, moving charges lose energy in the form electromagnetic radiation, according to Maxwell’s electromagnetic wave theory. Therefore, it must spiral down the nucleus. But we also know that doesn’t happen. Upon researching, I found out that electron spin doesn’t involve spatial motion. It’s a quantum property, not a literal rotation. So, it means electron shows the effect of spin but deosn’t actually spin because it actually doesn’t exist because it is a wave.
Effects of spin such as:
- It creates a magnetic moment
- It follows angular momentum rules
- It reacts to magnetic fields
But, if electron has wave function then it must be a particle at any point in the elctron cloud. After this, I have no answers, only one thing, there is wave-particle duality. So maybe, I will just make myself happy where it works as a wave because there is no actual answer to this.
Conclusion:
Therefore, electron doesn’t lose energy because it doesn’t spin literally, like the em wave theory expects us to.