Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
The position of an electron is known to within . Find the smallest uncertainty in its speed. Compare it with the speed of the electron in the first Bohr orbit, .
De Broglie: . Heisenberg: . Both matter only for very small particles such as electrons, and together they rule out a fixed path.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Uncertainty. The bottom is . So .
Step 2. Compare. : the uncertainty is larger than the orbital speed itself.
Answer: about , so pinning the electron down that closely makes its speed completely uncertain.
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