Physics 220 – Spring 2011

Problem Set 5
solutions due 4:00 PM Friday, April 29
Weiyong Zhang

1. The normalized radial wave function for an electron in the n = 2, l = 1 state in a hydrogen
atom is
1 r  r / 2 a0
R21 (r )  e
3 a
2 6a 0 0

where a0 is the Bohr radius.

(A) Write down the radial probability distribution P(r) for this state and determine the value of r
at which the distribution is a maximum. (Your result should be consistent with the graph shown
in Figure 7-10a of the textbook.)

(B) Calculate the probability of finding the electron in this n = 2, l = 1 state to be further than
5a0 from the nucleus. (You will have to solve an integral; do this by using a table of integrals
and not just by using a calculator. Show your work.)
2. (Based on problem 7.64 in the textbook) If a rigid body has a moment of inertia I and angular
velocity ω, its angular momentum is L = Iω and its kinetic energy is

1 2 L2
E I 
2 2I

The solution to the Schrodinger equation for this problem leads to quantized energy values given
by
l (l  1) 2
El 
2I

where l is the angular momentum quantum number with l = 0, 1, 2…

(A) Make an energy-level diagram of these energies, showing the lowest five energy levels.

1
(B) The moment of inertia of an H2 molecule is I  m p r 2 , where mp is the proton mass and
2
r  0.074 nm is the distance between the protons. Find the energy, in eV, of the first excited state
(corresponding to l = 1) for H2, assuming it is a rigidly-rotating body.
(C) What is the wavelength, in nm, of the radiation emitted when the H2 molecule makes a
transition from the l = 1 to l = 0 state?

3. In a Stern-Gerlach experiment, a stream of hydrogen atoms moving along the x axis with a
kinetic energy of Ek are sent through a nonuniform magnetic field in the z direction. The
magnetic field has a gradient dB/dz and extends over a region of length L along the x direction.
(See the figure below.)

∆z
hydrogen x
beam L
(A) Show that by the time the hydrogen atoms pass through the field region, the beam has split
into two, and that the separation of the beams in the z direction is

 B L2 dB
z 
8E k dz
where μB is the Bohr magneton.

dB
(Hints: Recall that the force on the beams is given by Fz   z . In this case, the magnetic
dz
moment is due solely to the intrinsic spin of the electron. Use the force to find the vertical
acceleration of the beam, and then use the usual kinematic equations to find the vertical
deflection. Also, keep in mind that the x-motion of the beam is undisturbed.)

(B) If Ek = .30 eV, L = 50 cm and dB/dz = 400 T/m, what is the value of ∆z in cm?