- Physics Factsheet @ Number 13: Atomic Calculations Bohr knew that the hydrogen atom consisted of a negatively charged electron orbiting « positively charged proton but... although atoms tare small there was a very BIG problem. ‘The electron was orbiting in a circle, That meant it was accelerating But accelerating charges always give out electromagnetic radiation. So the electron should lose energy. Bohr took the dramatic step of saying that the electron ~- ih an atom could only be in certain orbits and couldn't be ‘anywhere else. In addition, when the electrons were in these orbits they didn't radiate any energy at all. Furthermore, he said he could calculate the radius of the closest possible orbit. 3 x 10" m, which became known as the Bohr 1 might seem obvious - the electron is a small particle, But in the ‘ease of the atom the electron didn't behave like a particle. For a start when an electron fell towards a proton and ended up at the Bohr radius it did not tm its potential energy into kinetic energy, it gave out a photon of energy equal to the loss in potential energy (13.6ev) A Prince to the Rescue! Prince Louis de Broglie, a dozen years late, found himself thinking that waves and particles were really the same thing. de Broglie (pronounced ‘de Brooey') came up with an equation which linked particles and waves. Iti > ‘A. isthe wavelength of the ‘wave" in metres (m) ‘his Planck's constant, (6.63 x 10% Js) p__is the momentum of the ‘particle’ (kgms") ip Worked Example 1 What is the ‘wavelength? of the electron in the Bohr orbit? ‘Momentum = mass x velocity, So 2 liiny ‘As hy m, and » were known: 6.63 x10 TIKI" 2.19% 70 a Now consider this: Take the Bohr radius. Multiply itby 2x, ‘This gives the circumference of the Bohr orbit. Put the numbers in Ime = 2% 3.145.310" = 3.92% 10m [But this was exactly the same as the ‘wavelength’ of the electron that was in that orbit! ‘The conclusion was inescapable from the Bohr Model Qe Tee cecron vas bohavng tke a wave once tt was par an clom. ven Dole, tosaefy Hoh's condition tha the lect dn’ radiate energy away cs ‘rbied' wave had 1 bea sending or stationary wave the electron “Exam Hint: ‘Those are the shapes of the first few standing waves. It is a good idea to learn them, Bohr had calculated other radii where the electron could be orbiting, and still not give out any energy. ‘These radii turned out to be whe possible standing waves could wrap themselves around the proton, the ne Exam Hint: Be careful when you say exactly which standing | wave shapes occupy the Bohr orbits. | Only the waves with wh wavelengths are stable. So only the second and fourth shapes shown above correspond to actuat orbits. 1 was only standing waves that could exist, If the waves weren't standing waves they would not be stable and so would give out their energy and cease to exist ST OO134, Atomic Calculations fromthe Bohr Model Physics Factsheet —————— "The standing waves corresponded to the onergy levels found by experiment as shown below. -0.850V -1s1ev 1360 ‘Now it was clear, ‘The electron wasn’ orbiting around the prot particle at all once it was TL was acting as a standing wave. Worked Example 2 ‘Remember that an electron falling towards a proton from a large distance away will finally settle into an ombit whose radius is the Bohr radius, Or perhaps we should say it will become a standing, \wave in its simplest allowed patter, Either way it till has to get, rid of 13.66 of potential energy. (See diagram above). It does this by radiating away a photon of exactly this energy. Behe 1360V = 13.6 x 1.6 10 =2.18 x 1045 sone —io— _ (6.63% 10%%3x 10 218 x10" 2.18 x10" Answer= 9.1 108 m ‘This is in the ultraviolet part of the electromagnetic spectrum. By experiment on hydrogen atoms, light of exactly this wavelength ‘was observed to be given out when a far-away electron fell towards 1 proton to make « complete hydrogen atom. GH Tie electron, or wave, is not sable at higher energy levels, So lt quickly, in a fraction of a second, returns to its lowest possible energy level. The energy difference is radiated away from the ato inthe form of a photon. ‘Exam Hint: Be careful which way the electron moves. drops down energy levels then a photon is emitted, But an leciron can also absorb a photon of exactly the right energy rit ‘and move up energy levels. Make sure you make clear to the examiner that you know whether the photon is being absorbed or emitted, Worked example 3 If the clectron fell from the -3:39eV level (otherwise known as the first excited state) back to the -13.6eV level (the ground state) then the energy difference between these levels is 13.6 ~ 3.3 10216V. Thisis: 10.21 x 1.6 x 10° = 1,63 x 10"*J and this is the exact energy of holon emitted, Using E-= he/A we can calouate the wavelength ofthis photon. Teis: IB = (6,68 10% 3X 108) /1,63 x10" = 1.22 x 107m. "The result was that the emission spectrum of hydrogen consisted of lines which showed a definite pattern. This pattern could be explained by using the idea of electrons falling back to the ground state from various higher energy levels (or of standing waves returning to their simplest allowed fori) 5, : -054ev BE | =0.85 eV ih =1510V : Sid at of lines OR) -3.39eV 2nd et of lines (visible) =1360V ° iat er of fis ow ‘Taken diroctly from the above diagram, the emission spectrum would look Tike this. Tnereasing wavelength Practice Questions 1. The Bohr model of « hydrogen atom assumes that an electron e isin a citeular obit around a proton P. In the ground state the orbit has a radius of 5.3 x 10" m, AL this separation the electron is altracted to the proton by a force of B.1 x 108N, (@) State what is meant by the ground state. (6)(@_ Show that the speed of the electron in this orbit is about 2.2.x 10%ms" (mass of an electron = 9.1 x 10°" kg) (i) Calculate the de Broglie wavelength of an electron tcavelling at this speed. Planck constant = 6.63 x 10°13) (ii) How many waves of this wavelength fit the circumference ‘of the olectron orbit?134. Atomic Calculations from the Bohr Model Physics Factsheet 2, The energy level diagram shown below is a very simplified diagram for the hydrogen atom. ev First excited state 34eV Ground state -13.6 eV A-moving electron with kinetic energy of 12.5 eV collides with fan atom of hydrogen and causes the electron in the ground state {0 be raised to the first excited slate (@) Calculate the kinetic energy of the moving electron after the collision (in €V) (b) Calculate the wavelength of the photon emitted when the electron in the first excited state remns to the ground state. 3, Amuon sa particle which was discovered ina particle accelerator. Ttis a ‘heavy electron’, Tt has exactly the same properties as an electron but its mass is 208 times greater, Scientists have made an ‘ator’ in which the muon orbits a proton ‘The muon energy levels for this ‘atom’ has been discovered, oe -aizev 703 0V -2810eV Ground state (a) Write down the ionisation energy of this atom, (b) Hence calculate the maximum passible wavelength of a pphoton which, when absorbed, would be able to ionise this “atom (©) To which part of the electromagnetic spectrum does this wavelength belong? (@) Calculate the de Broglie wavelength of a muon travelling at 10% of the speed! of light. 4. ‘The diagram shows some ofthe energy levels ofa Thallium atom, 0 aniston Energy -104 (8) Calculate the ionisation energy in Joules for an electron in the =1044 eV ground state, (b) A neutron of kinetic energy 9.4 eV collides with & Thallium atom. As a result, an electron moves from the -10.4 eV level to the -1.6 eV level. What is the kinetic energy in eV of the neutron after the collision? (©) A transition between which two energy Tevels in the Thallium, ‘atom will give rise 10 an emission line of wavelength close to 320 nm? Draw this transition on the diagram above Answers 1 @) @ 2.17% 10%ms* Gi) 33x 10%m (Gi) Bxactly Onet 2 @)230V ) 122x107 3. @)2810eV (b) 442% 10% m @ 11710 m 4, @) 1.664% 103 (b) 06eV (© photon energy = 3.88 eV Acknowledgement ‘he Phys Pace! wax resend a writen by Pax! Daron ‘he Curren Press Bk Hose 105 Rig Set Wellington, Shops, TRL 1M Pier Facto nay be copied fe of charge by eahing se or ul, pov ha No prt of thee Fashes y be reproduce, sored to retevel en, er rane namo orm or yy aera, witout the prior prmsson of th publi —_———