Why Don’t Electrons Stick to Protons Despite Their Opposite Charges?

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Electrons do not stick to protons despite their opposite charges due to their quantum behavior, which differs significantly from classical objects. In a hydrogen atom, the electron occupies a ground state, representing the lowest energy level, where it is not simply bound to the proton. The principles of Quantum Theory explain that particles like electrons exhibit wave-like properties, preventing them from collapsing into the nucleus. Understanding this phenomenon requires a deeper exploration of quantum mechanics. Thus, the interaction between electrons and protons is governed by complex quantum principles rather than straightforward attraction.
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If positive and negative charges attract each other, why don't electrons just stick to the protons?
 
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Explanation from quantum theory. Esssentially a hydrogen atom ground state is the lowest energy level.
 
JML said:
If positive and negative charges attract each other, why don't electrons just stick to the protons?

Because electrons and protons are not like small, solid billiard balls. They behave VERY differently than how you're used to objects behaving. There's no simple answer and a proper understanding would require getting into Quantum Theory. If you're interested you can start with the following article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_quantum_mechanics
 
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I am reading the Griffith, Electrodynamics book, 4th edition, Example 4.8. I want to understand some issues more correctly. It's a little bit difficult to understand now. > Example 4.8. Suppose the entire region below the plane ##z=0## in Fig. 4.28 is filled with uniform linear dielectric material of susceptibility ##\chi_e##. Calculate the force on a point charge ##q## situated a distance ##d## above the origin. In the page 196, in the first paragraph, the author argues as follows ...
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