General Physics

Vidyanchal academy
notes
 Modern Physics

Atomic Physics
De Broglie wavelength in the atom
Quantum mechanics

prof. devender singh

E-mail devendersinghji@yahoo.com
Chapter 28
09/25/09 1
 Lightning Review

Last lecture: Ei  E f  hf

3. Atomic physics me vr  nh, n  1, 2,3,...

 Bohr’s model of atom  1
1 1 
 RH  2  2 
  n f ni 
 

Review Problem: Suppose that the electron in the hydrogen atom obeyed
classical rather then quantum mechanics. Why should such an atom emit a
continuous rather then discrete spectrum?

09/25/09 2
Recall Bohr’s Assumptions

Only certain electron orbits are stable. Radiation is

emitted by the atom when the electron “jumps” from a
more energetic initial state to a lower state

Ei  E f  hf

The size of the allowed electron orbits is determined by a

condition imposed on the electron’s orbital angular
momentum

me vr  nh, n  1, 2,3,...

Why is that?

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Modifications of the Bohr Theory – Elliptical
Orbits

Sommerfeld extended the results to include elliptical orbits


Retained the principle quantum number, n

Added the orbital quantum number, ℓ
ℓ ranges from 0 to n-1 in integer steps

All states with the same principle quantum number are said to form
a shell

The states with given values of n and ℓ are said to form a subshell

09/25/09 4
Modifications of the Bohr Theory – Zeeman
Effect and fine structure
Another modification was needed to account for the Zeeman effect
 The Zeeman effect is the splitting of spectral lines in a strong magnetic field

This indicates that the energy of an electron is slightly modified when the
atom is immersed in a magnetic field
 A new quantum number, m ℓ, called the orbital magnetic quantum number,
had to be introduced
m ℓ can vary from - ℓ to + ℓ in integer steps

High resolution spectrometers show that spectral lines are, in fact, two
very closely spaced lines, even in the absence of a magnetic field
 This splitting is called fine structure
 Another quantum number, ms, called the spin magnetic quantum number,
was introduced to explain the fine structure

09/25/09 5
28.5 de Broglie Waves

One of Bohr’s postulates was the angular momentum of

the electron is quantized, but there was no explanation
why the restriction occurred
de Broglie assumed that the electron orbit would be
stable only if it contained an integral number of electron
wavelengths

09/25/09 6
de Broglie Waves in the Hydrogen Atom

In this example, three complete

wavelengths are contained in the
circumference of the orbit
In general, the circumference
must equal some integer number
of wavelengths

2 r  n ,   1, 2,3,...
h
but   , so
me v
me vr  nh, n  1, 2,3,...

This was the first convincing argument that the wave nature of
09/25/09 matter was at the heart of the behavior of atomic systems 7
 QUICK QUIZ 1
In an analysis relating Bohr's theory to the de Broglie wavelength of
electrons, when an electron moves from the n = 1 level to the n = 3
level, the circumference of its orbit becomes 9 times greater. This
occurs because (a) there are 3 times as many wavelengths in the
new orbit, (b) there are 3 times as many wavelengths and each
wavelength is 3 times as long, (c) the wavelength of the electron
becomes 9 times as long, or (d) the electron is moving 9 times as
fast.

(b). The circumference of the orbit is n times the de

Broglie wavelength (2πr = nλ), so there are three
times as many wavelengths in the n = 3 level as in the
n = 1 level.

09/25/09 8
28.6 Quantum Mechanics and the Hydrogen
Atom
One of the first great achievements of quantum mechanics was the
solution of the wave equation for the hydrogen atom
The significance of quantum mechanics is that the quantum
numbers and the restrictions placed on their values arise directly
from the mathematics and not from any assumptions made to make
the theory agree with experiments

09/25/09 9
Problem: wavelength of the electron

Determine the wavelength of an electron in

the third excited orbit of the hydrogen
atom, with n = 4.

09/25/09 10
Determine the wavelength of an electron in the third excited orbit of the hydrogen
atom, with n = 4.

Recall that de Broglie’s wavelength of electron

Given: depends on its momentum, λ = h/(mev). Let us find it,

nh
n=4 me vrn  nh, so me v 
rn
h
Recall that rn  n 2 a0 , so me v 
 2 a0  n
Find:
h
λe = ? Thus,    2 a0  n  8  0.0529nm   1.33nm
me v

09/25/09 11
Quantum Number Summary

The values of n can increase from 1 in integer steps

The values of ℓ can range from 0 to n-1 in integer steps
The values of m ℓ can range from -ℓ to ℓ in integer steps
09/25/09 12
 QUICK QUIZ 2

How many possible orbital states are there for

(a) the n = 3 level of hydrogen? (b) the n = 4 level?

The quantum numbers associated with orbital states are n, , and m . For
a specified value of n, the allowed values of  range from 0 to n – 1. For
each value of , there are (2  + 1) possible values of m.

(a) If n = 3, then  = 0, 1, or 2. The number of possible orbital states is

then
[2(0) + 1] + [2(1) + 1] + [2(2) + 1] = 1 + 3 + 5 = 9.

(b) If n = 4, one additional value of  is allowed ( = 3) so the number of

possible orbital states is now
9 + [2(3) + 1] = 9 + 7 = 16

09/25/09 13
Spin Magnetic Quantum Number

It is convenient to think of the

electron as spinning on its axis

The electron is not
physically spinning
There are two directions for
the spin
 Spin up, m = ½
s
 Spin down, m = -½
s

There is a slight energy

difference between the two
spins and this accounts for the
Zeeman effect

09/25/09 14
Electron Clouds

The graph shows the solution

to the wave equation for
hydrogen in the ground state

The curve peaks at the
Bohr radius

The electron is not
confined to a particular
orbital distance from the
nucleus
The probability of finding the
electron at the Bohr radius is a
maximum

09/25/09 15
Electron Clouds

The wave function for

hydrogen in the ground state is
symmetric

The electron can be found
in a spherical region
surrounding the nucleus
The result is interpreted by
viewing the electron as a cloud
surrounding the nucleus

The densest regions of the
cloud represent the highest
probability for finding the
electron

09/25/09 16
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