Jumping electrons

Talk: 30th November 2023, 19:00, Conference Hall/Library of Alovera.

Electrons are one of the fundamental ingredients of our universe. As responsible for chemical bonding, they are essential for the existence of all our everyday objects, as well as for the functioning of the technology we use. Through the simplest atom we know, the hydrogen atom, we will show aspects about electrons that will serve as an introduction to the fascinating world of quantum mechanics. This talk will drive the audience through interesting questions as we advance from the Greek atomistic school, to the current quantum vision of the subatomic world. The dynamics of the electron, subject to the laws of quantum mechanics, allows to explain from how light bulbs emit light to why elements manage to combine creating molecules and substances.

Included in the Alovera's CULTURAL PASSPORT

The day of the talk

The talk began with some familiar concepts coming from the observation of natural phenomena, such as lightning in the storm, or friction of materials. The evolution of the idea of atom from the Greeks to Dalton's atomic hypothesis allows to address the framework where electrons live.

We continued explaining experiments that marked milestones on the path towards the quantum mechanical model of the atom, and how these advances allowed us to explain things that were experimentally known but not understood, such as spectral lines, with the electron as a main actor. The Schrodinger equation will be presented in an easy way. Finally we entered slightly into the quantum mechanical model of the atom, where the electrons located in orbitals can jump up to outer orbitals by absorbing energy, and release that energy upon return, or they can be shared with nearby atoms to form bonds such as in the molecules or solids. In the photo below, Schrodinger's equation appears engraved in stone in the hall of the Mathematics Institute at Stoney Brook University.

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