Electric field

[Little Bang]

Can anyone tell me what happens to the electric fields in a collision between two molecules of diatomic hydrogen?

[lawcat]

Electric Field changes based on the nucles and electron combinations. So, to change the electric field, or know what happens, you need to know what happens to the electrons and the nucleus.

 

In a diatomic H, the 2 electrons are shared in the p shell (up and down). This makes this molecule electrically neutral--in an electrical equilibrium. If the temperature of the environment increases, the molecules are excited by the added energy. The internal, vibrational energy increases, the pressure increases generally.

The first thing that can happen is that electrons are freed, resulting in ionization. This results in a change in electric field--the field becomes H2+--lacking an electron. If the collision energy is sufficiently high, you can create helium. See nucleogenesis. Each configuration of nuclei and electrons has its own specific electric field.

[Little Bang]

lawcat, that's not exactly what I was asking. During any collision there will be a distortion of the opposing fields, something like the distortion of Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind. I'm thinking that this distortion causes what we see as a photon.

[lawcat]

What we see as a photon is a release of energy due to electrons moving away from the nucleus to a higher shell, or being released; meaning that the electric field loses strength based on Coulomb's law--the radius, the distance between the charges, nucleus and electron, increases.

 

If two atoms, or molecules collide in such a way that an electron is released or moved to a higher shell state, there will be light. The energy of the bond decreases, and the nergy is released in the form of a quanta of light. Electric field between the nucleus and the electron decreases as well.

[Little Bang]

Lawcat, do you really believe we completely understand the production of the photon? Our theory that electrons changing energy levels produces a wave/particle in the hypothetical quantum foam lacks any real substance. The idea that the compressing of the electric fields in a collision of molecules/charged particles perturbs the background radiation that exists in the smallest volume of space through out the Universe seems more reasonable to me. Yes the mainstream idea does a good job but surely it must appear to be a little incomplete to you.

[lawcat]

Yes I do. I really believe it when I look at my monitor and my CRT TV. I know Coulomb's law is right.

[Little Bang]

If you believe (something other than knowing) then there is no further point in discussion.