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if the electron has spin 1/2 and proton has spin 1/2, why is the hydrogen atom (which is made of the electron and proton) have spin of 1/2?
Ygggdrasil said:When we talk about the spin of hydrogen, we are talking about the spin of the hydrogen nucleus (i.e. a proton). The electron doesn't figure into this.
The spin of a hydrogen atom refers to the intrinsic angular momentum of the atom's electron. It is a quantum property that can have a value of either +1/2 or -1/2.
The spin of a hydrogen atom can be measured using a technique called electron spin resonance, which involves exposing the atom to a magnetic field and measuring the energy levels of its electrons.
The spin of a hydrogen atom is significant because it is one of the fundamental quantum properties of an atom and can affect its interactions with other atoms and molecules.
No, the spin of a hydrogen atom is a fixed quantum property and cannot be changed. However, it can be affected by external factors such as magnetic fields.
The spin of a hydrogen atom is related to its energy level through the spin-orbit coupling effect. This means that the spin of the electron can affect the energy levels of the atom, and vice versa.