What force maintains electrons in their orbits around the nucleus?

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Multiple Choice

What force maintains electrons in their orbits around the nucleus?

The force that keeps electrons in orbit is the electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged electrons and the positively charged nucleus. This central electric force, described by Coulomb’s law, pulls the electron toward the nucleus and provides the centripetal force needed for circular orbits. Magnetic forces act on moving charges but do not bind electrons to the nucleus in atoms; the weak nuclear force operates inside the nucleus and isn’t responsible for binding electrons; gravity is utterly negligible at atomic scales. Binding energy is the energy required to remove an electron, a consequence of this electromagnetic attraction, not a separate binding force.

The force that keeps electrons in orbit is the electrostatic attraction between the negatively charged electrons and the positively charged nucleus. This central electric force, described by Coulomb’s law, pulls the electron toward the nucleus and provides the centripetal force needed for circular orbits. Magnetic forces act on moving charges but do not bind electrons to the nucleus in atoms; the weak nuclear force operates inside the nucleus and isn’t responsible for binding electrons; gravity is utterly negligible at atomic scales. Binding energy is the energy required to remove an electron, a consequence of this electromagnetic attraction, not a separate binding force.

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