Question

In Kittel's book of Solid State Physics, it is said that, whenever an electron passes the positive ion core in the lattice, it has the ability to distort the lattice s.t by attracting the positive ion cores. Does the attraction has to do anything to the mass of an electron, as being small, does it posses the attractive power to make the nearby positive ion cores to pull toward that electron, as positive ion cores are much heavier.

Answer 1

The mass of an electron, although small, allows for significant electromagnetic force due to charge, enabling it to distort a lattice by attracting positive ion cores. This is essential for understanding lattice energy and crystal structure in Solid State Physics.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Kittel's discussion of Solid State Physics, the phenomenon of electrons influencing lattice structures is explained. Despite the relatively small mass of an electron, it possesses a significant electromagnetic force due to its charge, which allows it to attract the heavier positive ion cores in a lattice.

An electron passing by will distort the lattice by Coulomb attraction, drawing the positive ions closer. This is illustrated when one electron displaces the positively charged nuclei toward itself, making the region of its path more positively charged, and subsequently attracting another nearby electron.

This concept is crucial, as it influences the lattice energy, which is crucial for understanding the crystal structure and stability of ionic solids. Moreover, in multi-electron atoms or ions, interactions such as electron-nucleus attractions and electron-electron repulsions significantly affect the total energy and properties of the system.