Thursday, January 26, 2012

What is the name of the combined motion where the object both orbits around another object and spins?

for example the motion of an electron around the nucleus or the motion of earth around the sun.What is the name of the combined motion where the object both orbits around another object and spins?There is no word for that.

Most objects spin when they orbit. Even the moon spins, it just happens to spin at exactly the right speed to keep one side always facing the EarthWhat is the name of the combined motion where the object both orbits around another object and spins?You can't combine 'rotation' and (orbital) 'revolution' as one. These two are different and there is no correlation.

An electron in orbit around nucleus of an atom has (orbital) 'revolution' and also its rotation in the form of 'spin'. Without going into details of it all both movements are exactly similar except being quantum mechanical problem (as the dimensions are 'tiny') the problem of electron dynamics is subject to what is called wave function (expressed as Greek letter 'psi'). Square of 'psi' is the probability of finding an electron at a particular spot in the orbit. Such problem doesn't exist in planetary orbits as 'planet' is about "1 followed by 60 zeroes" (my guess) times that of an 'electron'.

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