Derivation of the Bohr Magneton

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the derivation of the Bohr magneton, specifically addressing the calculation of the current due to an electron in the first Bohr orbit. The correct formula for the magnetic moment is established as μB = eh/4πm, where e is the electron charge, h is Planck's constant, and m is the electron mass. The participant initially miscalculated the current using the energy of the first orbit (13.6 eV) instead of the appropriate frequency equations, leading to an answer that was half of the correct value. The correct approach involves using I = q*f_rev, with f_rev derived from the electron's velocity and orbit radius.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum mechanics and the Bohr model of the atom
  • Familiarity with fundamental constants such as Planck's constant (h) and the charge of an electron (e)
  • Knowledge of circular motion equations and their application in physics
  • Ability to manipulate equations involving energy and frequency in quantum systems
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  • Study the derivation of the Bohr magneton in detail, focusing on the equations μB = eh/4πm
  • Learn about the significance of the first Bohr orbit and its energy levels in hydrogen
  • Explore the relationship between current, frequency, and magnetic moment in quantum mechanics
  • Investigate the implications of approximations in quantum equations and their effects on results
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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in quantum mechanics, particularly those studying atomic structure and magnetic properties of electrons.

aeroegnr
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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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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.
 



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))
 

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