Because it’s bound to the proton, like the Earth is bound to the Sun and the Moon is bound to the Earth. So it doesn't collide with the proton for the same reason they don't. That’s the easy part.
The difficult part is why don't the electrons lose energy by electromagnetic radiation. And the answer to that is because there don’t exist quantum states that can describe this radiation, they exist only in the classical limit. A quantum atom doesn’t radiate-in the same way a classical atom does, at least.
R. Sagayaraj I think the best answer to your students at this stage in the development of physics is that the physical description of quantum theory makes no sense.
Quantum theory is aimed at predicting the results of experiments but it gives no clue as to the fundamental nature of matter. If you just look in Wikipedia at “interpretations of quantum mechanics “ you will find a comparison table with at least ten different interpretations.
If you want to get a picture of the nature of the electron consider the Spacetime Wave Theory. The hydrogen bond is explained here:
Preprint The Hydrogen Bond (June 2022)
Richard
Mention that the electron is held away from the oppositely charged nucleus (you also have to talk about why the protons (same charge particles) attract. Simply state this is one of the mysteries yet to be solved. The accepted model has several problems as SN mentioned above. An alternate is that photons hold electron an proton apart which is why radiation is photons.
Article Magnetic Field Evolves to Gravity Field Part:4 Atomic Structure
R. Sagayaraj
John Hodge
The mystery about why protons (and neutrons) attract can be understood in the context of the Spacetime Wave Theory:
Conference Paper THE UNIFICATION OF PHYSICS (Conference Paper)
In the Spacetime Wave theory, the proton is not three quarks but three wavelengths of a looped wave in the medium of space. This wave is travelling at speed c in the loop and as the wave travels there is a corresponding compression and expansion of space.
The frequency of the wave can be derived from E=hf and this shows that the wave is making just under 10^23 orbits per second. This high figure arises because the speed of light is so fast and the radius of the proton is so small.
Now when you think of two protons in close proximity they will attract and bond because within each wavelength we have compression and expansion of the medium of space. Compression bonds strongly with expansion to result in what we call the strong nuclear force.
Richard
“….The difficult part is why don't the electrons lose energy by electromagnetic radiation. And the answer to that is because there don’t exist quantum states that can describe this radiation, they exist only in the classical limit. A quantum atom doesn’t radiate-in the same way a classical atom does, at least…”
- yeah, that is so. However that [ why a negatively charged electron cloud surrounds the positively charged nucleus of an atom but can't collide with a proton]
“…Because it’s bound to the proton, like the Earth is bound to the Sun and the Moon is bound to the Earth. So it doesn't collide with the proton for the same reason they don't. That’s the easy part.. ….”
- really isn’t correct. Really yeah, Earth is bound to the Sun and the Moon really is bound to the Earth, but they don’t collide with Sun and Earth because of Earth and Moon have the large orbital angular momentums, M, M=PxR, P is the momentum, Ris distance between the bodies, “bold” is 3D space vector, and so, because of the angular momentum conservation law, at their motion around Sun and Earth collisions, i.e. when the R~zero, are impossible, and real minimal R have well non-zero values in perigees;
- while in atoms electrons on the lower electronic s-shells have zero orbital angular momentums, so in this case also purely QM laws act, which have to Sun, Earth, and Moon too indirect relation.
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