All books

Professional

Apps About Coach Log in Start reading

Chemistry · Glossary

What is Indistinguishable particles, antisymmetric wavefunction?

Also known as: indistinguishable particles · antisymmetric wavefunction

Definition 2.2 University Chemistry — Year 3 · Chapter 2 — Many-Electron Atoms and Term Symbols

Particles are indistinguishable if no measurement can tell them apart: every electron is identical to every other. A wavefunction of several electrons is an antisymmetric wavefunction if it changes sign when the coordinates (space and spin) of any two electrons are exchanged: Ψ(…,i,…,j,… )=−Ψ(…,j,…,i,… )\Psi(\dots,i,\dots,j,\dots) = -\Psi(\dots,j,\dots,i,\dots).

Read in context →