Find the electric field produced by the atom at the Bohr radius

In summary, an electron is distributed around a proton according to the volume charge density \rho = A e^{-2r/a_o} where A is a constant, a_o is the Bohr radius and r is the distance from the center of the atom. The electric field produced by the atom at the Bohr radius is E4 pi a_o^2=-e/epsilon and the charge enclosed within the bohr radius is dr.
  • #1
indigojoker
246
0
an electron is distributed around a proton according to the volume charge density [tex]\rho = A e^{-2r/a_o}[/tex] where A is a constant, a_o is the Bohr radius and r is the distance from the center of the atom.

Find A:
we know that [tex] Q=\int \rho dV = -e[/tex]
i was wonder if this was the integral that i set up:
[tex]-e=\int _0 ^{\inf} A e^{-2r/a_o} 4 \pi r^2 dV [/tex]

Find the electric field produced by the atom at the Bohr radius?
E4 pi a_o^2=-e/epsilon

then solve for E, is this right?
 
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  • #2
indigojoker said:
an electron is distributed around a proton according to the volume charge density [tex]\rho = A e^{-2r/a_o}[/tex] where A is a constant, a_o is the Bohr radius and r is the distance from the center of the atom.

Find A:
we know that [tex] Q=\int \rho dV = -e[/tex]
i was wonder if this was the integral that i set up:
[tex]-e=\int _0 ^{\inf} A e^{-2r/a_o} 4 \pi r^2 dV [/tex]

Looks right to me... except should have dR in the integral.

Find the electric field produced by the atom at the Bohr radius?
E4 pi a_o^2=-e/epsilon

then solve for E, is this right?

Left side looks right... but on the right side you need the charge enclosed within the bohr radius... not the entire charge...
 
  • #3
the reason why its dr is because:

dV=4pir^2dr

right?For the second part, what is the charge enclosed within the bohr radius? I am not quite sure how that plays a role in the equation for flux.
 
  • #4
indigojoker said:
the reason why its dr is because:

dV=4pir^2dr

right?

yes.

For the second part, what is the charge enclosed within the bohr radius?

integrate [tex]\rho dV[/tex] from 0 to a_o

I am not quite sure how that plays a role in the equation for flux.

what does gauss law say about the flux through the spherical surface at r=a_o
 
  • #5
so the right side should really be:

[tex]E 4 \pi a_{o}^{2} = \frac{\int_0^{a_o} A e^{-2r/a_o} 4 \pi r^2 dr}{\epsilon_o} [/tex]
 
  • #6
indigojoker said:
so the right side should really be:

[tex]E 4 \pi a_{o}^{2} = \frac{\int_0^{a_o} A e^{-2r/a_o} 4 \pi r^2 dr}{\epsilon_o} [/tex]

Right... with dR in the integral on the right side...
 
  • #7
what is the dR integral?

isnt that what i have?
 
  • #8
indigojoker said:
what is the dR integral?

isnt that what i have?

oops sorry... yes, that's right... I thought I saw dV there before I clicked reply... did you change it?

Anyway, it looks correct now.
 
Last edited:
  • #9
haha yes i changed it right when i saw the dV, you must have hit reply while the system was updating :P
 
  • #10
indigojoker said:
haha yes i changed it right when i saw the dV, you must have hit reply while the system was updating :P

:wink:
 

What is an atom's Bohr radius?

The Bohr radius, also known as the Bohr radius constant, is a physical constant that represents the distance between the nucleus and the electron in a hydrogen atom when the electron is at its lowest energy state.

How is the electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius calculated?

The electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius is calculated using the formula E = (k * q) / r2, where E is the electric field, k is the Coulomb's constant, q is the charge of the nucleus, and r is the Bohr radius.

Why is the electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius important?

The electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius is important because it helps us understand the behavior of electrons in an atom. It also plays a crucial role in various fields such as chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Can the electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius be measured?

Yes, the electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius can be measured using various experimental techniques such as electron scattering experiments or spectroscopy.

How does the electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius change with the atomic number?

The electric field produced by an atom at the Bohr radius is directly proportional to the charge of the nucleus, which is determined by the atomic number. Therefore, as the atomic number increases, the electric field at the Bohr radius also increases.

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