Question

Why does it become difficult to mathematically describe the Coulombic interactions in a multi-electron atom?

A) The negatively charged electrons will attract each other.

B) The negatively charged electrons will cancel out the charge of the protons in the nucleus.

C) Heisenberg's uncertainty principle makes it impossible to determine the exact location of the electrons.

D)There are no equations to describe the Coulombic interactions between moving charges.

Answer 1

Ans C) Heisenberg's uncertainty principle makes it impossible to determine the exact location of the electrons.

According to the heisenberg's uncertainity principle , the exact position of the particle cannot be detemined. So in the case of electron , the position and velocity of electron both cannot be determined simultaneously and exactly at any particular instant. So it is difficult to mathematically describe the coulombic interactions in the multielectron atom.