Born–Oppenheimer approximation
The Born-Oppenheimer approximation is like playing a game with two players: a big player and a little player. The big player is like the heavy atoms, and the little player is like the electrons. The game is that they can't move at the same time because they are so different in size. So first, the big player makes a move, and then the little player makes a move. They take turns until the game is over.
In the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, we look at the big player (atoms) first and pretend that the little player (electrons) is not moving. We make some calculations and figure out how the big player is moving, based on their size and weight. Then, we look at the little player (electrons) separately and make some calculations to see how they move based on the big player's (atoms) movements.
This approximation helps us to understand how the atoms and electrons interact with each other and how they move around in molecules. It's like separating the ingredients of a cake recipe and figuring out how each one contributes to the final product. Overall, the Born-Oppenheimer approximation is a tool that scientists use to simplify complex calculations and better understand the behavior of atoms and molecules.
In the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, we look at the big player (atoms) first and pretend that the little player (electrons) is not moving. We make some calculations and figure out how the big player is moving, based on their size and weight. Then, we look at the little player (electrons) separately and make some calculations to see how they move based on the big player's (atoms) movements.
This approximation helps us to understand how the atoms and electrons interact with each other and how they move around in molecules. It's like separating the ingredients of a cake recipe and figuring out how each one contributes to the final product. Overall, the Born-Oppenheimer approximation is a tool that scientists use to simplify complex calculations and better understand the behavior of atoms and molecules.