Why and how does an electron move within the atom?

Because it is reactive, an electron moves within an atom. It can form a stable and bound system with a proton that has an opposite charge (The hydrogen atom).

How electrons move in an atom: An electron moves in an elliptical orbit. Rutherford assumed a planetary model of an atom in that electrons move in an elliptical orbit around a nucleus.

. However, quantum theory has made it clear that his model was incorrect.

Now it is assumed electrons move in waves around the 3D space surrounding the atom (bounded by electrostatic forces). These electron clouds look something like the image below.

This is the Wikipedia image for an He atom ( – Wikipedia).

). Except for the four particles in the middle, all is electron cloud. This is the region of space with the highest probability of finding an electron.

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