What is the difference in energy between the lowest energy state of the hydrogen atom, and the next higher energy level (i.e. the difference in energy between the 2 lowest energy states)?
1 Answer
As a preface, since you have asked for the "difference in energy", I will give an answer that has no sign. That is, I will give
Since you are looking at the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, recall that there exists something called the Rydberg equation (or formula):
\mathbf(1/lambda = R_H(1/(n_f^2) - 1/(n_i^2))) where:
lambda is the wavelength in"m" ,corresponding to the difference in energy between quantum levelsn_i andn_f .n is the principal quantum number as usual.R_H is the Rydberg constant,"10973731.6 m"^(-1) .(Normally there's a sign in the equation, but all we need to do is ensure that
lambda > 0 .)
The lowest energy state is for hydrogen's electron in
To solve for the difference in energy, we will also need another equation.
If you recall, the difference in energy is related to the frequency (which is related to the wavelength) by Planck's constant.
\mathbf(DeltaE = hnu = (hc)/lambda) where:
DeltaE is the difference in energy you're looking for.h = 6.626xx10^(-34) "J"cdot"s" is Planck's constant.nu is the frequency corresponding to the difference in energy.c = 2.998xx10^8 "m/s" is the speed of light.
So, combining these two equations, we would proceed as follows:
lambda = (hc)/(DeltaE),
1/lambda = 1/((hc)/(DeltaE)) = R_H(1/(n_f^2) - 1/(n_i^2))
(DeltaE)/(hc) = R_H(1/(n_f^2) - 1/(n_i^2))
\mathbf(DeltaE = hcR_H(1/(n_f^2) - 1/(n_i^2)))
The difference in energy,
color(blue)(|DeltaE|) = hcR_H|1/(n_f^2) - 1/(n_i^2)|
= (6.626xx10^(-34) "J"cdotcancel"s")(2.998xx10^8 cancel"m""/"cancel"s")("10973731.6" cancel("m"^(-1)))
xx|1/(2^2) - 1/(1^2)|
= color(blue)(1.635xx10^(-18) "J")
Or, if you wanted this in
color(blue)(|DeltaE|) = 1.635xx10^(-18) "J" xx "1 eV"/(1.602xx10^(-19) "J")
~~ color(blue)("10.2 eV")
And indeed, the lowest energy level of hydrogen atom (
