Day in the Life: Electron
In the hustle and bustle of the subatomic world, electrons get shouldered with a lot of the work. Logan Wright joined them on their rounds to find out about life as an electron. But would they bond?
Wake Up Call
An electron’s day starts with a bang, a Big Bang in fact. There’s no time for coffee, as the electron hurtles well over a trillion billion miles in less than second in the universe’s creation period. The initial shock is just the beginning, though, and the electron is immediately thrust into the fast growing business world of the universe. Just thinking about the long day ahead gives the electron a real charge. Unfortunately, it’s a negative charge and it will probably hold all day. Opposites attract in the atomic world (call it electromagnetic force), and the electrons are constantly feeling a pull towards nucleus, where the positively-charged protons chill with their indecisive, neutrally-charged neutron pals.
Right to WorkThere’s work to be done, and somebody has to do it. While the protons and neutrons bum around on a perpetual coffee break in the atom’s nucleus, the electron has a lot of space to cover. Its hustle is admirable though, it’s as though it’s everywhere at once in its orbital zone. It not only has to avoid other electrons, whose negativity is a bit too much to handle, but it’s also forced to, due to electromagnetic attraction of opposite charges, keep within shouting distance of those slacker protons.
Like a Really (Really) Small Company
In circling the atom, electrons prefer to work in pairs. They can be pretty much anywhere at any given time, but they do tend to stay within defined energy levels where they’re less apt to run into themselves and others. The energy levels furthest from the atom are the most desirable ones (think corner offices) and are involved in all atomic bonding and relations. Electrons need to have a lot of energy to move to a further energy level though, even if the position is free. As usual, that darn electrostatic “opposites attract” force caused by the protons bumming around in the nucleus makes it exceedingly hard for electrons to see a change of environment
Mid-Morning Promotion
If the electron is lucky, it’ll be able to grab a quick snack of laser light. With this in its system, the electron gains enough spunk and energy to ensure itself a promotion. Abandoning its post, the electron jumps to a luxurious, higher energy level.
Sugar Crash
The promotion does not last long and pretty soon those damn protons manage to pull the electron back to its normal territory. It’s tough to maintain the high energy needed to stay in those prime positions and the protons have one heck of an electrostatic pull. Before returning to its low energy orbital, the electron is just able to spit out a photon, a particle of light.
Afternoon InterruptionsAfter some excitement, the electron is back to its work. Just when it’s getting comfortable it’ll be called into action. The electron might find itself helping to magnify objects in an electron microscope, being thrust against a phosphor screen in a television or passing an electrical current through a conducting wire. Most electrons prefer working in direct current (DC) systems, such as solar cells, where the mad rush is only in one direction. The masochistic ones, on the other hand, tend to enjoy alternating current (AC) systems (like power grids), claiming they get more exercise by repeatedly reversing their direction.
It’s a Long Day When You’re an Electron
Just when all the quantum chaos is really starting to piss the electron off, its antiparticle, Mr. Hot-Shot-Positron, waltzes by with a smug grin on his face. It doesn’t take long for the electron to collide with its antiparticle in an absolutely atomic argument. As they say in the atom, “It’s a tough to be an electron. Good luck getting a coffee break!”
Get more days in their lives or stick with the links below:
- Day in the Life - Labradorite
- How It Works - Wi-tricity: cordless power
- What it is - A is for Amino Acid
- What is ain't - Science solves tiddlywinks
Image: Miroslav Kostic
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