Energy Eigenstates: Can Electron in Hydrogen Atom?

[ralqs]

Can an electron in a hydrogen atom every been in an energy eigenstate?

 

[dextercioby]

Well, I'm trying to get something from your inaccurate English wording and give you this answer: typically, it's very unlikely to meet a single, isolated H-atom. Usually H-atoms, when more than 1, tend to couple with each other and form a diatomic stable molecule. The energy eigenstates (point spectrum) of the single atom are not energy eigenstates of the molecular Hamiltonian anymore. What chemists call the sigma covalent bond between the 2 H atoms is not that strong and this molecule can react with other molecules, when certain exterior (pressure & temperature) conditions are met.

 

[ralqs]

Sorry about my english. I had meant to ask whether an electron in a hydrogen atom can *ever* be in an energy eigenstate ie whether an electron can exist in a single orbital alone. Ifr the question still doesn't make sense, then I've probably gone and confused myself about something...

 

[dextercioby]

The electron is only one, so it can occupy any energy level it wants to.

 

[kutraj]

Well, if you take a Hydrogen atom, isolated from everything else (in terms of interaction) and then measure the electron's energy, it will be in an energy eigenstate after the measurement.