• Question: In a magnet, the positive is attracted to the negative and the negative is attracted to the positive. In an atom, why is the positive proton not attracted to the negative electron

    Asked by aurum to Dean on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Dean Whittaker

      Dean Whittaker answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Firstly, magnetism and electronic attraction are slightly different but the principles are the same – negative attracts positive.

      The short answer is that they are definitely attracted to each other. A proton is 2000 times bigger than an electron. So it doesn’t move. Just like planets moving in orbits around the sun, the electron is trying to move very fast straight ahead. But the attraction of the proton pulls it around in a circle. Once it reaches a certain distance away, the force of the electron going forward and the pull of the proton is exactly balanced so it orbits in a circle.

      Electrons can get pushed away from their atoms in metals because their orbits are so big that there is very little force holding them on. That’s what electricity is – the electrons flowing through.

      The more complicated answer involves quantum mechanics and is difficult for scientists to understand fully!!

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