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Long Answer Questions · Q13

Q.Determine the maximum angular speed of an electron moving in a stable orbit around the nucleus of hydrogen atom.

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Angular speed is ωn=vn/rn\omega_n=v_n/r_n. Using the Bohr-model results vn=Ze22ϵ0hn∝1nv_n=\frac{Ze^2}{2\epsilon_0hn}\propto\frac{1}{n} and rn=n2h2ϵ0πmeZe2∝n2r_n=\frac{n^2h^2\epsilon_0}{\pi m_eZe^2}\propto n^2, the angular speed is ωn=vnrn∝1/nn2=1n3\omega_n=\frac{v_n}{r_n}\propto\frac{1/n}{n^2}=\frac{1}{n^3}. Since ωn\omega_n falls off as 1/n31/n^3, it is LARGEST at the smallest allowed value of n, which is n=1 (the ground state) -- there is no smaller, faster orbit available; the electron simply cannot occupy n=0. For hydrogen (Z=1), the ground-state orbit has v1≈2.188×106v_1\approx2.188\times10^6 m/s and r1=a0=5.3×10−11r_1=a_0=5.3\times10^{-11} m, giving ω1=v1r1=2.188×1065.3×10−11≈4.128×1016\omega_1=\frac{v_1}{r_1}=\frac{2.188\times10^6}{5.3\times10^{-11}}\approx4.128\times10^{16} rad/s -- this is the maximum angular speed any electron can have in a stable orbit of a hydrogen atom. [!ANSWER] Maximum angular speed occurs at n = 1 (ground state), ωmax≈4.13×1016\omega_{max}\approx4.13\times10^{16} rad/s.

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