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Glite Dictionary
electron orbit

electron orbit

5.5
The path an electron takes around the center of an atom
  • noun
  • /ɪˈlɛktrɒn ˈɔrbɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : órbita electrónica
  • The size and shape of an electron orbit determine how the electron interacts with other atoms.

Examples

  • Owing to the readjustment of electron orbits in a magnetic field, all objects, even "nonmagnetic" ones, exhibit diamagnetism, which determines the lowest possible limit of their magnetic response.

    Academic text (1998)

  • In the atomic model, each electron orbit represents a distinct energy level for the electron.

  • Because the electron orbits grow with decreasing B, the electrons can eventually perform classical cyclotron-like orbits around the geometrical hole.

    Academic text (1994)

  • An electron follows a specific path called an electron orbit around the nucleus of an atom.

Synonyms

orbit
vselectron orbit
  • Specialized
378 4.0

A curved path that a planet or satellite follows around another body

is the specific path of a particle moving around an atomic nucleus

Surface Forms

electron orbit singular
electron orbits plural

Morphology

electron + orbit

The meaning 'the path taken by an electron around a nucleus' is a straightforward composition of 'electron' (a charged particle) and 'orbit' (a curved path), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE’s meaning. The construction is literal and cross-linguistically common in scientific vocabulary, making it transparent rather than idiomatic or metaphorical.

Etymology

The term electron orbit comes from a simple picture: a tiny electron moving in a steady orbit, like a little planet going around the sun but around the center of an atom. So, it means the 'path' an electron takes around the atom's center.