Wave Functions
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Wave Functions
I'm still a little confused on what the wave function of an electron in an atom represents. Do they represent the position of the electron or its energy?
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- Posts: 35
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Re: Wave Functions
The wave function is a value that describes the position of the electron in the atom. The squared wave function value is equal to the probability of finding the electron in a region (probability density).
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Re: Wave Functions
A wave function describes an electron in an atom. A wave function is defined to be a function describing the probability of a particle's quantum state as a function of position, momentum, time, and/or spin. Wave functions are represented by the variable Ψ. This is based on the fact that an electron, with wavelike properties and indeterminacy in movement and position, can be described as a wave function. The square of the wave function represents the probability of finding an electron in a given region within the atom.
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