Hydrogen Wave Functions

1247 Words5 Pages
In the following text you will see my reflection on what I have learned so far on the formation of the Hydrogen atom. A figure on each page is shown of different Hydrogen levels. A hydrogen atom is a single positively charged proton with an orbiting negatively charged electron. Each Hydrogen level is dependent on three quantum numbers. The first quantum number is the principle quantum number which takes the states of n = 1, 2, 3, 4, ... . This quantum number reflects the Bohr radius of the orbit on which the electron moves and the total energy of the atom. The second quantum number is the angular quantum number l = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, ...n - 1. The angular quantum number is related to the angular momentum of an electron when it's moving around a nucleus. The third quantum number is the magnetic quantum number with m = l, l - 1, l - 2, ..., -l+1, -l. There are n - 1 total nodes, l of which are angular nodes. The remaining n - l - 1 nodes are radial. An angular wave function "s" with l = 0 is usually called the ball. An l = 1 angular wave function "p" is called the dumb-bell. An l = 3 wave function "d" is called a clover leaf. And finally a l = 4 angular wave function "f" is casually called the flower. Where there are nodes in the wave functions of the atom there is zero density and zero probability of finding the electron at the node. These are represented by black lines in the right most density graph. The ground state “1s” is when n = 1 and l = 0. This is the state of the lowest possible energy where an electron is found. There are no nodes in angular. (l = 0). The quantum number l represents how many crest and through lobes there are during a 360 degree process. Since l = 0 in the ground state, there are 0 X 2 = 0 lobes in angular. There are no nodes in the radial (middle) function since n – l – 1 = 1 – 0 – 1 = 0. The radial wave function has n – l lobes; in

More about Hydrogen Wave Functions

Open Document