Solving a H Atom Energy Problem: Am I Being an Idiot?

  • #1
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I am having a problem with this question in a past exam paper...I may just be being a bit of an idiot:

Show that if an H atom is in its ground state the minimum energy photon it can
absorb is 1.634x10-18 J.

I am using The formula:

En2-En1=hcR∞(1/n12 - 1/n22)

I keep getting a different value using n1 as 0 and n2 as 1...also using 1 and 2 respectively.
What am I doing incorrectly?
 

Answers and Replies

  • #2
The ground state is n = 1 (not n = 0).
 
  • #3
Sorry...I was forgetting to do 1/4 for the final term...It has been a long day.
 
  • #4
Where is the solved button?
 
  • #5

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