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Why do electrons on the outer shells have more energy than the electrons closer to the nucleus?

April 26, 2017Chemistry electrons energy Mathematics nucleus Outer shells

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Why do electrons on the outer shells have more energy than the electrons closer to the nucleus?

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It is actually because they occupy higher energy eigenstates of the Hamiltonian – that is why they are in outer shell orbitals (the shells represent increasing principle quantum numbers, and higher principle quantum number means more energy).