Can You Ionize Hydrogen in This New Shoot the Electron Game?

[edguy99]

New game "Shoot the electron"

Hi there,

I am interested in some feedback (not to harsh I hope) on a "shoot the electron" game.

http://www.animatedphysics.com/games/shoottheelectron.htm

Basically you are attempting to ionize hydrogen by shooting an electron at the electron within the hydrogen atom. To stop the electron from falling endlessly towards the proton, the proton is assumed to be a thin shell of positive charge 53 picometers in size and that electrons do not feel the coulomb force once they are inside the shell.

TIA.

 

[Borek]

It has nothing to do with shooting the electron. Electron in an atom doesn't behave like a point particle. And hydrogen molecule is not a single atom, but H₂.

 

[edguy99]

Thanks for the feedback. Hydrogen comes in a number of forms (H, H-, H+, H2-, H2para, H2ortho and I think a fair amount of H3+ is found in space) certainly with H2 being the most common. The game starts with as single proton and electron (H) for level 1, level 2 moves on to H2- and on from there.

I agree the electron doesn't behave like a point particle, but at these scales, the most important force on it (and the only one used in the game) is the coulomb force. Magnetic forces, relativity and quantum concepts are certainly important but are beyond the scope of the game. This game is only modeling the coulomb force between multiple protons and electrons with a provision to keep the single proton/electron binding energy from going past 13.6 evolts, hence the shell at 53 picometers.

 

[Borek]

quantum concepts are certainly important but are beyond the scope of the game

Quantum effects are what governs the world on the scale of single atoms. If they are beyond the scope of the game, game has no scope.

You can as well ignore coulomb forces and concentrate on gravity only, it will make about as much sense.

 

[edguy99]

Quantum effects are what governs the world on the scale of single atoms. If they are beyond the scope of the game, game has no scope.

You can as well ignore coulomb forces and concentrate on gravity only, it will make about as much sense.

At the bohr radius of 53 picometers, the binding energy of a stationary proton and electron is 13.6 evolts calculated purely from the coulomb force. Certainly gravity does not have an influence, but I don't think the coulomb force can be ignored.

 

[Borek]

I don't think the coulomb force can be ignored.

Apparently you missed the irony.

 

[edguy99]

Apparently you missed the irony.

Apparently I did. Peace brother.

WRT to gravity, I have done a great many animations using gravity, but this is my first with the coulomb force using the picometer distance scale and the attosecond time scale. I am thinking of trying magnetic forces next combined with the coulomb force to see if I can do an old style tv animation where electrons accelerated by the coulomb force have their direction controlled by magnetic forces. I have read the electrons are only accelerated to about 1/2 c, so relativity should not be very relevant and can be (hopefully) ignored.