Consider a hydrogen atom in the ground state. What is the energy of its electron?
To determine the energy of the electron in a hydrogen atom in the ground state, we can use the Rydberg formula. The ground state of an atom corresponds to the lowest energy level.
The Rydberg formula is given by:
E = -13.6 eV / n^2
Where:
- E is the energy of the electron in the atom.
- n is the principal quantum number, which represents the energy level of the electron.
For the ground state of a hydrogen atom, the principal quantum number is 1.
Substituting n = 1 into the formula:
E = -13.6 eV / (1^2)
E = -13.6 eV
Therefore, the energy of the electron in a hydrogen atom in the ground state is -13.6 electron volts (eV).
To determine the energy of the electron in a hydrogen atom's ground state, we can use the equation for the energy of a single electron in the Bohr model:
E = -13.6 eV / n^2
In this equation, E represents the energy of the electron, -13.6 eV is the ionization energy of a hydrogen atom, and n is the principal quantum number. The ground state corresponds to n = 1.
Plugging in the values, we have:
E = -13.6 eV / (1^2)
E = -13.6 eV
Therefore, the energy of the electron in the ground state of a hydrogen atom is -13.6 eV.