Question

Atomic physicists ignore the effect of gravity within an atom. to see why, calculate and compare the gravitational and electrical forces between an electron and a proton separated by the charges and masses are given on the inside back cover.

Answer 1

Atomic physicists disregard gravity within an atom because the electromagnetic force between an electron and a proton is significantly stronger than the gravitational force, making it negligible in atomic interactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the realm of atomic physics, the forces acting on particles within an atom are primarily electromagnetic in nature. The electrical force between charged particles, such as an electron and a proton, is governed by Coulomb's law, which states that the force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

On the other hand, the gravitational force between the same particles is determined by Newton's law of gravitation, involving the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

Let's consider the electron and proton charges (approximately -1.602 x 10⁻¹⁹C and 1.602 x 10⁻¹⁹ C, respectively) and masses (approximately 9.109 x 10⁻³¹kg and 1.673 x 10⁻²⁷kg, respectively). The distance within an atom is on the order of angstroms (10⁻¹⁰ m). Calculating both forces, the electromagnetic force far exceeds the gravitational force.

This vast difference in magnitudes allows atomic physicists to neglect the gravitational force when studying atomic interactions. The electromagnetic force dominates at the atomic scale, leading to accurate predictions and models without the need to consider the relatively weak gravitational forces.