Why are electrons depicted as being in orbits instead of fixed on like legos?

[Realitycheck]

It seems like there would be no reason for an electron to orbit an atom and much flimsier that they would orbit in different levels. I'm sure there is a good explanation, but if an atom had a +2 charge, why wouldn't it just lock onto the nucleus like a magnet wherever there was room, stacked onto other electrons if necessary?

[Daecon]

There's too much energy in an electron to make it stay still, it has to find a place where the attraction of the nucleus' + charge exactly balances the amount of kinetic energy the electron has which is making it orbit the nucleus.

[Realitycheck]

Why would an electron have kinetic energy in the first place? This seems to be based on the idea that the electron is orbiting the nucleus, which is probably based on an age-old law.

 

Why would an electron be recruited if there is a limit to how much it is drawn? It seems illogical that an electron is attracted to a nucleus with a plus charge, but then, is not drawn to the nucleus completely. As far as I can tell, an electron is just a really small piece of matter with a charge. It shouldn't have to have its own kinetic energy which keeps it from being totally attached to the nucleus. If it moves, there has to be a reason why it moves in a circle around the nucleus. It doesn't propel itself, and the only force that the nucleus has on it is attracting it.

[insane_alien]

because the electron has a wavelength it cannot be confined to such a small space. and even after that there are only set orbitals and energy levels it can be in without interfering with itself.

 

i suggest you look at the bohr model of the atom. it is the simplest model we have that is reasonably correct.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohr_model

 

this will also help but it delves into more complicated effects you might not be ready for yet. just ignore them till you get an understanding of the structure.

 

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/atomstructcon.html#c1

[swansont]

Why would an electron have kinetic energy in the first place? This seems to be based on the idea that the electron is orbiting the nucleus, which is probably based on an age-old law.

 

Why would an electron be recruited if there is a limit to how much it is drawn? It seems illogical that an electron is attracted to a nucleus with a plus charge, but then, is not drawn to the nucleus completely. As far as I can tell, an electron is just a really small piece of matter with a charge. It shouldn't have to have its own kinetic energy which keeps it from being totally attached to the nucleus. If it moves, there has to be a reason why it moves in a circle around the nucleus. It doesn't propel itself, and the only force that the nucleus has on it is attracting it.

 

 

The "only" force is quite large on that scale, and a free electron must actually lose energy to become bound to a nucleus. The electron doesn't actually orbit in circles (one of the problems with the Bohr model), and can't be confined to a region that small, as i_a has noted. The "illogoc" you see is called quantum mechanics.