Classical electron radius explained
The classical electron radius is a theoretical concept used to describe the size of an electron in classical physics. It is derived from the electron's charge and mass, assuming that the electron is a point charge surrounded by a spherical shell of charge. This concept is important in understanding various physical phenomena, although it is not directly applicable to quantum mechanics.
Symbol
The symbol for the classical electron radius is re.
Origin
The classical electron radius was first introduced by J.J. Thomson in the late 19th century as part of his "plum pudding" model of the atom. This model posited that atoms were composed of a positively charged sphere with electrons embedded within it. The classical electron radius was derived from the idea that an electron could be treated as a small sphere of charge.
Comparison with Quantum Mechanics
While not directly applicable to modern quantum mechanics, it remains a useful concept for understanding certain classical electromagnetic phenomena. In quantum mechanics, the electron is not considered to have a definite radius but rather a probability distribution described by wave functions. The classical electron radius serves as a historical and conceptual bridge between classical and quantum theories, highlighting the limitations of classical physics in describing subatomic particles.
How do I convert classical electron radius to other length units?
Use the links below for easy conversions from classical electron radius to other length units available on this website.
- Classical electron radius to meters
- Classical electron radius to kilometers
- Classical electron radius to hectometers
- Classical electron radius to dekameters
- Classical electron radius to decimeters
- Classical electron radius to centimeters
- Classical electron radius to millimeters
- Classical electron radius to miles
- Classical electron radius to yards
- Classical electron radius to feet
- Classical electron radius to inches
- Classical electron radius to light years
- Classical electron radius to quettameters
- Classical electron radius to ronnameters
- Classical electron radius to yottameters
- Classical electron radius to zettameters
- Classical electron radius to exameters
- Classical electron radius to petameters
- Classical electron radius to terameters
- Classical electron radius to gigameters
- Classical electron radius to megameters
- Classical electron radius to micrometers
- Classical electron radius to nanometers
- Classical electron radius to picometers
- Classical electron radius to femtometers
- Classical electron radius to attometers
- Classical electron radius to zeptometers
- Classical electron radius to yoctometers
- Classical electron radius to rontometers
- Classical electron radius to quectometers
- Classical electron radius to microns
- Classical electron radius to megaparsecs
- Classical electron radius to kiloparsecs
- Classical electron radius to parsecs
- Classical electron radius to astronomical units
- Classical electron radius to leagues
- Classical electron radius to leagues (uk)
- Classical electron radius to leagues (ancient celtic)
- Classical electron radius to nautical leagues (uk)
- Classical electron radius to nautical leagues (international)
- Classical electron radius to nautical miles (uk)
- Classical electron radius to nautical miles (international)
- Classical electron radius to miles (statute)
- Classical electron radius to miles (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to miles (roman)
- Classical electron radius to kiloyards
- Classical electron radius to furlongs
- Classical electron radius to furlongs (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to chains
- Classical electron radius to chains (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to ropes
- Classical electron radius to rods
- Classical electron radius to rods (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to perches
- Classical electron radius to poles
- Classical electron radius to fathoms
- Classical electron radius to fathoms (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to ells
- Classical electron radius to feet (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to links
- Classical electron radius to links (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to cubits (uk)
- Classical electron radius to hands
- Classical electron radius to spans (cloth)
- Classical electron radius to fingers (cloth)
- Classical electron radius to nails (cloth)
- Classical electron radius to inches (us survey)
- Classical electron radius to barleycorns
- Classical electron radius to mils
- Classical electron radius to microinches
- Classical electron radius to angstroms
- Classical electron radius to x units
- Classical electron radius to fermi
- Classical electron radius to arpents
- Classical electron radius to picas
- Classical electron radius to points
- Classical electron radius to twips
- Classical electron radius to alns
- Classical electron radius to famns
- Classical electron radius to calibers
- Classical electron radius to centiinches
- Classical electron radius to japanese kens
- Classical electron radius to russian archins
- Classical electron radius to roman actus
- Classical electron radius to spanish vara
- Classical electron radius to greek cubits
- Classical electron radius to long reeds
- Classical electron radius to reeds
- Classical electron radius to long cubits
- Classical electron radius to handbreadths
- Classical electron radius to fingerbreadths
- Classical electron radius to planck length
- Classical electron radius to bohr radius
- Classical electron radius to earth's equatorial radius
- Classical electron radius to earth's polar radius
- Classical electron radius to earth's distance from sun
- Classical electron radius to sun's radius