Journal: Electron Orbitals (Clouds)

Student name:
1. Think about the pencil-dropping activity that you did in the introduction. What did the target
finally look like? (2 points)
The target after the pencil-dropping activity looked like it had electrons in its rings everywhere.
I think the point of this lab was to prove that the bohr-model incorrect.
2. What do you think an electron orbital looks like? (10 points)
The path of a planet around the Sun? If so, please sketch it below.
It looks like the sun, because the paths of the planets are like the levels of energy. Ex)
Mercury is energy level 1 and the sun is the nucleus.

If not, does it look like a cloud in the sky? If so, sketch it below.

If not, does it look like a bunch of dots whose concentration (density) decreases further
away from the center of the bunch? If so, sketch it below.

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3. In most science books that you have seen, the atom is pictured with its electrons circling the
nucleus, following the paths of several concentric rings, like the Suns planets. Most
people do not like (or understand) uncertainty. They want THE answer. Many people look
to textbooks (and education) for THE answer. You will find that the path of an atoms
electrons (how they get from place to place) is not described anywhere in this textbook.
This is just one of several uncertainties still existing in science in this, the twenty-first
century. (8 points)
a. How do you feel about not knowing something for sure, even after researching and studying
it?
I feel that I am wrong if I do not know something for sure, for example if I dont check my
math work I feel like I made a stupid mistake a lost points.

b. How do you handle other uncertainties in your life? How will you handle this one?
I handle my other uncertainties in life by repetition, however this uncertainty I just have to
accept that the electrons are in certain orbitals instead of knowing their exact positions.

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