Re:Scientists present the most accurate time measurements of...
by btilly on Thursday November 10, 2016 @04:58PM
(#12924840)
I'm qualified to quote original sources found from Wikipedia, not to explain them. :-)
That said, in the Bohr model, electrons move at around 1% of the velocity of light. Multiply by pi for half the circumference, and you're in the right general ballpark that the wave takes this long to propagate both ways around the atom and then set up interference with itself resulting in the new orbital.
(A highly inaccurate picture of what is really happening, but it gives basic intuition.)
That said, in the Bohr model, electrons move at around 1% of the velocity of light. Multiply by pi for half the circumference, and you're in the right general ballpark that the wave takes this long to propagate both ways around the atom and then set up interference with itself resulting in the new orbital.
(A highly inaccurate picture of what is really happening, but it gives basic intuition.)