Beryllium atom in a weak magnetic field

In summary, the conversation discusses the effect of a weak magnetic field on the emission/absorption spectrum of the beryllium atom. It is established that the ground state will not be affected, but the first excited state will have three energy levels in the presence of a weak magnetic field. However, there is a discrepancy as the friend claims that there will be no splitting at all. The speaker is seeking clarification on where they went wrong in their understanding.
  • #1
fluidistic
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1. Homework Statement and attempt at a solution
Considering that the ground state of the beryllium atom is [itex]2s^2[/itex] and the first excited state is [itex]2s2p[/itex], I was wondering in how many lines would the emission/absorption spectrum be modified in a weak magnetic field.
I know that if there's no magnetic field, only "1" frequency/wavelength will be emitted/absorbed.
In order for a weak magnetic field to change this, there would need to have the denegeration of the quantum numbers [itex]m_j[/itex]'s to be eradicated. This is so because in the presence of a weak magnetic field, [itex]\Delta E = \mu _B g_L m_j B_{\text {weak}}[/itex].

So for the ground state, the outer 2 electrons are in a subshell that can contain at most 2 electrons, therefore it is filled entirely. Thus in this case [itex]J=|l+s|[/itex] where [itex]l=0[/itex] and s=0. s=0 because [itex]s=\sum m_s =1/2-1/2[/itex] thanks to Pauli exclusion's principle. Thus in this case [itex]J=0[/itex], hence [itex]m_j=0[/itex]. The ground state won't be affected by any weak magnetic field.

Now for the first excited state, 2s2p. There's 1 electron in the shubshell 2s, half filled. So that [itex]J=|l-s|[/itex] where [itex]l=0[/itex] and s=1/2. This makes [itex]J=1/2[/itex].
For the outer electron, it is in a subshell that can contains up to 6 electrons, thus again [itex]J=|l-s|[/itex], where this time [itex]l=1[/itex] and s=1/2. This makes [itex]J=1/2[/itex]. So that the total angular momentum [itex]J=1/2+1/2=1[/itex]. This would make [itex]m_j[/itex] going from -1 to 1, passing by 0. In this case it seems that the first excited state gets splitted into 3 energy levels (one of which was the one without any magnetic field) when we apply a weak magnetic field.
So that all in all there would be a 3 spetrum "lines" or frequencies/wavelengths if we apply a weak B field (let's say 1 tesla at most).

However my friend told me that there's no splitting at all when there's a weak magnetic field. I wonder where I went wrong...
 
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  • #2
Do you guys have any idea on my "error"?
 

1. What is the electronic configuration of a Beryllium atom in a weak magnetic field?

In a weak magnetic field, the electronic configuration of a Beryllium atom remains the same as in the absence of a magnetic field, which is 1s2 2s2.

2. How does a weak magnetic field affect the spin of Beryllium's electrons?

In a weak magnetic field, the spin of Beryllium's electrons remains unaffected as it does not have any unpaired electrons. Therefore, the spin of each electron is canceled out by its partner electron with opposite spin.

3. Can a Beryllium atom be magnetized in a weak magnetic field?

No, a Beryllium atom cannot be magnetized in a weak magnetic field as it does not have any unpaired electrons. In order for an atom to be magnetized, it must have unpaired electrons with aligned spins.

4. What is the magnetic moment of a Beryllium atom in a weak magnetic field?

The magnetic moment of a Beryllium atom in a weak magnetic field is zero as it does not have any unpaired electrons and its spin is canceled out by its partner electron.

5. How does a weak magnetic field affect the energy levels of a Beryllium atom?

A weak magnetic field does not have a significant effect on the energy levels of a Beryllium atom. However, it can slightly split the energy levels due to the interaction of the magnetic field with the orbital angular momentum of the electrons.

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