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#hydrogen ground state

2 public questions tagged with this topic.

What is the ratio of the kinetic energy to the potential energy of an electron in the ground state of a hydrogen atom? (

**Hydrogen atom radius** r_n = n² a₀, a₀=5.3×10⁻¹¹ m first Bohr radius, r₂=4a₀=2.12×10⁻¹⁰ m, ratio r₄/r₂ =16/4=4, r₃=9a₀, circumference 2πr_n =2π n² a₀, for n=3 circumference=2π×9×5.3×10⁻¹¹=3×10⁻⁹ m. Orbital period T =2πr/v, v_n = v₁/n, v₁=2.2×10⁶ m/s, T₂=2πr₂/v₂, v₂=1.1×10⁶ m/s, T₂≈1.21×10⁻¹⁵ s. E = K + U , K = 13.6 eV , U = -27.2 eV . Ratio = (K/|U|) = (13.6/27.2) = 0.5 . Using E_n = -13.6/n² eV, r_n = n² a₀, L = n h/2π, R = R₀ A^¹/³, BE = Δm c² and 1 u = 931.5 MeV, evaluation yields 0.5, consistent with Bohr model and nuclear binding energy systematics.

Ref: NCERT > Physics Book > Atoms and Nuclei > Hydrogen Atom Properties - Radius, Speed and Energy

In the Bohr model, what is the ground state of a hydrogen atom?

**Rutherford's nuclear model** atom has small massive positively charged nucleus with electrons orbiting, size ratio atomic to nuclear ~10⁵, nucleus ~10⁻¹⁵ m atom ~10⁻¹⁰ m, most alpha particles with large impact parameter pass undeflected, small fraction >90° scatter from close approach, centripetal force provided by Coulomb attraction k Z e²/r², fails to explain stability because accelerating charge should radiate and collapse. The ground state is the lowest energy state, where the electron is in the orbit with n = 1 , having an energy of -13.6 eV. Using E_n = -13.6/n² eV, r_n = n² a₀, L = n

Ref: NCERT > Physics Book > Atoms and Nuclei > Atomic Models - Rutherford, Thomson and Bohr