Why Is 13.6 Used in Bohr's Formula for Hydrogen Atom Energy Levels?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jcmartinez
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Components Formula
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the formula E=13.6-(13.6/n^2), which Bohr used to predict the energy levels of electrons in hydrogen atoms. The key point of inquiry is the significance of the value 13.6 in the formula. This value represents the ionization energy of hydrogen in electron volts (eV) and is derived from fundamental physical constants, specifically related to the Rydberg constant. The energy of an electron in a given orbit is influenced by its speed and the electrostatic attraction between the electron and the nucleus, as described by Coulomb's law, which highlights the relationship between distance and force. Additional resources, including a video and Wikipedia articles on the Rydberg constant and formula, provide further context and explanations.
jcmartinez
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
using this formula E=13.6-(13.6/n^2)
E = energy
n= energy level.
using that formula Bohr predicted the energy levels for each of the allowable orbits in the Hydrogen atom.

now i would like to understand why 13.6 is used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpKhjKrBn9s&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_736168

this link will take u to the video I am watching on the bohr model. its a 9 min video. but the exact spot to see where this formula is mentioned is at the 5 min 17 sec mark. so start off at about the 5 min mark and u will be able to hear him say..

the energy of an electron in a certain orbit is a function between the speed of the e-, and the attraction between the nucleus and the e-. which as coulomb's law describes, it depends on the square of the distance between them.

now i don't quite what the video ment to say by that phrase above. and i do not understand where the 13.6 comes from in the formula.

i hope someone can help me.
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
your response does not help me. thank you though
 
It seems like a simple enough question: what is the solubility of epsom salt in water at 20°C? A graph or table showing how it varies with temperature would be a bonus. But upon searching the internet I have been unable to determine this with confidence. Wikipedia gives the value of 113g/100ml. But other sources disagree and I can't find a definitive source for the information. I even asked chatgpt but it couldn't be sure either. I thought, naively, that this would be easy to look up without...
I was introduced to the Octet Rule recently and make me wonder, why does 8 valence electrons or a full p orbital always make an element inert? What is so special with a full p orbital? Like take Calcium for an example, its outer orbital is filled but its only the s orbital thats filled so its still reactive not so much as the Alkaline metals but still pretty reactive. Can someone explain it to me? Thanks!!
Back
Top