Q&A: How do electrons form standing waves?

Question by Erika T: How do electrons form standing waves?
I’ve looked everywhere for a simple explanation, and I seem to be coming across a lot of images that are poorly explained for the amateur. I understand that electrons make standing waves due to the pull of the nucleus, but how?

Looking at a picture like this one, http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/imgmod/ewav3.gif, I don’t see how the electron(s) are making a standing wave, are they going backwards and forwards, or following the dotted line, or are all the lines the same electron or…??? And this movie http://www.atto.fysik.lth.se/ shows a single electron under a microscope making a standing wave… but if it’s just one electron, how is it canceling out itself to make a node? I’m so confused!
HELP!

Best answer:

Answer by EIE
really?

if you have no idea in the ‘supposed’ field that you are talking, you might want to hang it up, idiot.

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