According to de Broglie relation and Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, why can an electron not reside inside an atomic nucleus? (Hard)
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The confinement requires kinetic energy far exceeding nuclear potential
- Step 1: If an electron were confined within a nucleus of diameter ~10^(-14) m, Delta x would be ~10^(-14) m. Step 2. By Delta p >= h / (4 pi Delta x), the required relativistic momentum corresponds to an energy > 20 MeV, whereas beta emission energies are only 2-3 MeV. Confinement is impossible. Answer: The confinement requires kinetic energy far exceeding nuclear potential. Why not the others: Nuclear positive charge attracts electrons; electron mass is small, not large; angular momentum is irrelevant to spatial confinement.
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