Chapter 42

Atomic Physics

Dr. Jie Zou

PHY 1371

Outline

Atomic spectra of gases (section 40.4)

Early models of the atom (section 42.1)
Bohrs model of the hydrogen atom
(section 40.5)

Dr. Jie Zou

PHY 1371

Atomic spectra of gases

Orion Nebula
Dr. Jie Zou

(a) Emission line spectra for H, Hg, and Ne.

(b) Absorption spectrum for H.
PHY 1371

Neon signs: an application

Dr. Jie Zou

PHY 1371

Balmer series of hydrogen

Johann Jocob Balmer (18251898)

The empirical equation by
Johannes Rydberg (18541919):
1 1
= RH 2 2

2 n
1

The Balmer series of spectral lines

for atomic hydrogen.
Dr. Jie Zou

n = 3,4,5,...

RH: Rydberg constant = 1.0973732

x 107 m-1.
The series limit
The measured spectral lines agree
with the empirical equation to
within 0.1%.

PHY 1371

Early models of the atom

Dr. Jie Zou

Model of the atom in the

days of Newton: Tiny,
hard, and indestructible
sphere.
J.J. Thomsons model of
the atom: Negatively
charged electrons in a
volume of continuous
positive charge.
Rutherfords planetary
model of the atom.
PHY 1371

Difficulties with Rutherfords

planetary model

Dr. Jie Zou

Cannot explain the

phenomenon that an atom
emits (and absorbs) certain
characteristic frequencies of
electromagnetic radiation and
no others.
Predication of the ultimate
collapse of the atom as the
electron plunges into the
nucleus.
PHY 1371

Bohrs model of the hydrogen

atom

Basic ideas of the Bohr theory of the hydrogen atom:

Dr. Jie Zou

The electron moves in circular orbits around the proton

under the electric force of attraction.
Only certain electron orbits are stable. When in one of these
stationary states, the electron does not emit energy in
the form of radiation.
Radiation is emitted by the atom when the electron makes a
transition from a more energetic initial orbit to a lowerenergy orbit. The frequency of the emitted radiation is
found from Ei Ef = hf. Energy of an incident photon can be
absorbed by the atom only if the photon has an energy that
exactly matches the difference in energy between an
allowed state of the atom and its existing state upon
incidence of the photon.
The size of an allowed electron orbit is determined by a
condition imposed on the electrons orbital angular
momentum: quantization of the orbital angular momentum
mevr=n, n = 1,2,3
PHY 1371

Bohrs theory of hydrogen

atom (cont.)

Allowed energy levels (see detailed derivation):

ke e 2 1
13.606
En =
eV
n = 1,2,3,...
2=
2
2 a0 n
n

a0 = Bohr radius = 2/mekee2 = 0.0529 nm

2
2
rn =n a0 = n (0.0529 nm)
Ionization energy: the minimum energy required to
ionize the atom in its ground state (to completely remove
an electron from the protons influence) = 13.6 eV for
hydrogen.
Ei E f
ke e 2 1
1
=
2
f =
2

h
2a0 h n f ni
Emission frequency and wavelength:
ke e 2 1
1 f
1
= =
2
2

c 2a0 hc n f ni
Dr. Jie Zou
PHY 1371
9

Energy-level diagram for the

hydrogen atom

Dr. Jie Zou

PHY 1371

10

Quick quiz #1

A hydrogen atom is in its ground state.

Incident on the atom are many photons
each having an energy of 10.5 eV. The
result is that

(a) the atom is excited to a higher allowed

state
(b) the atom is ionized
(c) the photons pass by the atom without
interaction

Dr. Jie Zou

PHY 1371

11

Quick Quiz #2

A hydrogen atom makes a transition from the

n = 3 level to the n = 2 level. It then makes
a transition from the n = 2 level to the n = 1
level. Which transition results in emission of
the longest-wavelength photon?

(a) the first transition

(b) the second transition
(c) neither, because the wavelengths are the
same for both transitions.

Dr. Jie Zou

PHY 1371

12

Homework

Chapter 40, P. 1317, Problems: #40,

42, 44, 47.

Dr. Jie Zou

PHY 1371

13