Electrons again

[kwicky]

Do all electrons travel in the same direction (ie anticlockwise) about the nucleus.? Also does this reverse when going to the southern hemisphere?

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Science/Questio n432816.html

[jake-the-peg]

No, some electrons will have an angular momentum in the same direction of the angular momentum of the nucleus and others in the opposing direction.

This difference is partly responsible for hyperfine structure of atomic spectra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfine_structu re

Transitions between spin states cause this structure

[boobesque]

i was under the impression that most electrons DO spin in the same direction. They exert a sort of "handedness" as do the spin of galaxies, planets etc which is roughly proportional to peoples handedness. ie 70:30

I think it was in "the universe next door" by Marcus Chown

[jake-the-peg]

Electrons and galaxies are somewhat different.

but the galaxy thing is interesting. The piece of work referred to is not what you'd expect but it is only based on 1660 galaxies reasonably close to us.

That is not the universe.

That is interesting though it leves open the question whether the total angular momentum of the universe is zero and the rotation is balance by other galaxies further out which is the most probable or whether there was a net angular momentun created in the big bang.

Incidently the proportion of Right to left handed people is not 7:3 it's closer to 1:10 - if you think about it for a moment I'm sure you'll realise that.

[jake-the-peg]

sorry should have said 10:1 not 1:10