Do electrons all orbit at the same speed ?

Question

How do they orbit, and what prevents them from flying off?

Answer 1

No, they vary.  The electrostatic attraction between the negative electron and the positive nucleus keeps them from 'flying off'.  Electrons in inner orbits must travel faster for the same reason that planets in inner gravitational orbits must travel faster.  The rotational acceleration needs to match the electric (or gravitational) acceleration.

See the reference for why the inner electrons never travel faster than c, even for the 'Feynmanium' elements.  The advantages of fiber optics do not relate to propagation velocity.

You can't treat an electron orbit as simply as you can a planetary orbit, since the quantum constraints become significant.  But the orbital mechanism really is comparable.  Both forces are inverse square, so the orbits are stable.

Answer 2

Actually, they don't orbit at all, and the concept of "speed" isn't defined.  This arises from quantum mechanics, which determines where the electrons can probably be found.  The electrons merely lurk in a cloud near the nucleus, attracted by the positive charge.

Answer 3

Electrons are so tiny that they obey the uncertainty principle. The general way to think of it is that the electron takes every possible path between two points.

However, electrons also have a charge and thus can cancel themselves other out (as they move like waves). Thus, there are certain paths which the you will never "find" an electron around an nucleus since if it followed that specific path there would be an inverse path in which the wave would cancel itself out. Electrons can only be "found" in orbits around a nucleus which is an exact multiple of its wavelength.

Of course "finding" is a mental exercise. You can't observe anything as small as an electron. However, the orbits do make good predictions on the behavior of atoms in atomic theory and chemistry.

Yes, electrons can move faster than light. They need not take a straight line from point A to point B. However, for every electron which takes that path, there is typically an inverse path which will cancel out that electron, so that is the path you statistically see them moving in. However, given enough electrons, some will move faster than light at some point of their journey. You can't see the effect well in wires. However, this effect has been demonstrated by firing light through cesium vapor. A tiny signal is actually detected on the other side prior to the light pulse entering the chamber.

Answer 4

The electrons have orbits of different sizes and hence they do not orbit at the same speed.

Coulomb's attractions keep the electrons in their orbit.  

Answer 5

No, the speed depends on electron orbit and the atomic number. Hydrogen electron has speed 1/137 speed of light. Innermost electrons in heaviest elements have speeds close to that of light.

Answer 6

They do not really orbit in the sense of celestial objects.  Their orbits are a probability of position not tractable paths.  speed can not be assigned to this quantum mechanical concept

Answer 7

it's a mistake to think of them as a tiny solar system. they do not orbit the nucleus, they don't go around it, they exist as a set of probabilities until observed and then the appear in the place consistent with expectations and observations.

think of them as wiggling in a fuzzy way, then when you look at them they come into focus.