According to the principles of quantum mechanics, until its position is measured, an electron is described by a probability distribution known as a wave function. The wave function represents the likelihood of finding the electron at different locations around the atomic nucleus. However, it's important to note that the wave function does not represent the electron's precise location but rather the range of possible locations and their associated probabilities.
The concept of the electron being "somewhere unknown, nowhere, or everywhere" is not an accurate representation. Instead, the electron's position is described by a probability distribution, which means it can be found in various regions around the nucleus with different probabilities.
Before being measured or detected, it is scientifically valid to describe the electron's condition using the wave function. The wave function contains all the information that can be known about the electron's position and other measurable properties. However, it does not provide definite information about these properties until a measurement is made. When a measurement is performed, the wave function "collapses" to a specific value corresponding to the observed result.
It's important to emphasize that quantum mechanics provides a probabilistic framework for describing the behavior of particles at the microscopic level. The uncertainty in the electron's position is not due to limitations in measurement technology but rather an inherent feature of quantum mechanics itself.