Derivation of the Bohr Magneton

In summary, the conversation is about a homework problem where the speaker turned in the wrong answer on purpose because they didn't agree with the explanation. They want to know why the correct answer is what it is. The question involves finding the current due to an electron in the first Bohr orbit. The speaker used the equation h*f=E, which led to their incorrect answer. The book solution manual used a different equation, which is an approximation for large n. The speaker argues that the actual equation should have been used, which would have resulted in an undefined answer. They also mention a different equation suggested by their professor.
  • #1
aeroegnr
17
0
This is a homework problem, and I already turned in the wrong answer (on purpose because I didn't agree with the explanation of why the correct answer was twice mine). I want to know why the answer is what it is. The stated book value is 9.274009 x 10^-24 J/T. I got exactly half that, and I know the equations that the official solution used.

The question is stated thus:
a) the current i due to a charge q moving in a circle with frequency f_rev is q*f_rev. Find the current due to the electron in the first bohr orbit.


So, what I did was I used the equation h*f=E, where E was the energy of the first orbit in hydrogen, which was 13.6eV. (I know that this is where I made the mistake) I then computed the current that way and got 9.274.../2 as the answer. The book solution manual, which I do not trust because it offers no explanation, used this equation:

f~Z^2*m*k^2*e^4/(2*pi*h_bar^3*n^3) and plugged in the value of n=1 to get the frequency.

however, the above equation is an approximation for large n. The actual equation that the above is derived from is:

Z^2*m*k^2*e^4/(4*pi*h_bar^3) * (2n-1)/(n^2*(n-1)^2)

I know that for large n, this equation approaches the other one they used. However, they plugged in the value of 1 into the approximation, when the real answer would have been undefined (divide by 0)!

I was told by the professor that I could use the equation f=v/(2pi*r), which did not suit me because you end up with the approximation equation above.

What am I confused about here?
 
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  • #2
Well, if the book is using the approximation and you are only off by a factor of two my guess is that you are fine. You work seems fine.
 
  • #3



The Bohr magneton is a fundamental constant in quantum mechanics that describes the magnetic moment of an electron in an atom. It is given by the formula μB = eh/4πm, where e is the charge of an electron, h is Planck's constant, and m is the mass of an electron.

In order to derive this, we need to consider the motion of an electron in the first Bohr orbit. The electron is moving in a circular path with a frequency f_rev, which is given by the equation f_rev = q*f, where q is the charge of the electron and f is the frequency of the electron's motion. In this case, q is the same as the charge of an electron, which is -e.

The correct approach to finding the current due to the electron in the first Bohr orbit is to use the equation I = q*f_rev. In this case, q is -e and f_rev is the frequency of the electron's motion in the first Bohr orbit. This frequency can be found using the equation f_rev = v/(2π*r), where v is the velocity of the electron and r is the radius of the orbit. In the first Bohr orbit, the velocity of the electron can be found using the equation v = k*e^2/(2r), where k is a constant.

Putting these equations together, we get I = -e*(k*e^2/(2r))/(2π*r) = -ke^3/(4πr^2). This is the current due to the electron in the first Bohr orbit. To find the magnetic moment, we use the formula μ = I*A, where A is the area of the orbit. In this case, A = πr^2, so μ = -ke^3/(4πr).

Now, we can use the equation for the energy of the first Bohr orbit, E = -k*e^2/(2r), and rearrange it to solve for r. This gives us r = -ke^2/(2E). Plugging this into our equation for the magnetic moment, we get μ = -ke^3/(4π*(-ke^2/(2E))^2) = -ke^3/(4π*(-k^2*e^4/(4E^2))) = -ke^3/(4π*(-k^2*e^4/4*13.6^2))
 

1. What is the Bohr Magneton?

The Bohr Magneton is a unit of magnetic dipole moment (μ) used in quantum mechanics to describe the behavior of electrons in atoms and molecules. It is named after Danish physicist Niels Bohr who first proposed the concept.

2. How is the Bohr Magneton derived?

The Bohr Magneton is derived by considering the angular momentum of an electron in an atom. According to Bohr's model of the atom, the electron orbits the nucleus in a circular path at a constant speed. The angular momentum of the electron (L) is equal to the product of its mass (m), velocity (v), and the radius of its orbit (r). This can be expressed as L = mvr. The Bohr Magneton is then calculated as μ = evr/2m, where e is the electron's charge and 2m is the reduced mass of the electron-nucleus system.

3. What is the significance of the Bohr Magneton?

The Bohr Magneton is significant because it provides a measure of the magnetic moment of an electron in an atom. This is important for understanding the behavior of electrons in atoms and molecules, as well as in applications such as MRI and NMR technology.

4. What is the value of the Bohr Magneton?

The value of the Bohr Magneton is approximately 9.274 x 10^-24 joules per tesla (J/T). This value is used in calculations related to magnetic properties of materials and atomic and molecular structure.

5. How does the Bohr Magneton relate to the electron spin?

The Bohr Magneton is used to describe the magnetic dipole moment of electrons in orbit around the nucleus. However, it does not account for the electron spin, which is another property that contributes to the magnetic moment of an atom. The Bohr Magneton is often used in conjunction with the spin magnetic moment to fully describe the magnetic properties of an electron.

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