Session Overview
| Modules | Structure of the Atom |
| Concepts | atomic spectra of hydrogen, matter/energy interactions involving atomic hydrogen, planetary model, Bohr’s postulates, quantum condition, ionization energy, electron orbital transitions |
| Keywords | angstrom, Avogadro’s number, prism, refraction, wavelength, nanometer, Johann Balmer, wavenumber, Michael Faraday, cathode, anode, electron-volt, Bohr radius, ground state, ionization energy, energy level, conservation of energy, atomic spectra, Cecilia Payne, Ernest Rutherford, joule, coulomb, Max Planck, Planck’s constant, emission spectra, spectrograph, electrode, photon, volt, radiation |
| Chemical Substances | hydrogen (H), helium (He), lithium (Li) |
| Applications | chemical analysis, analyzing composition of stars, television |
Prerequisites
Before starting this session, you should be familiar with:
Looking Ahead
Prof. Sadoway discusses the shell model and quantum numbers (Session 5).
Learning Objectives
After completing this session, you should be able to:
- Describe how the atomic spectra of hydrogen is produced.
- Explain why the radius of the electron orbital takes multiple values that are discrete, quantized, and non-linear.
- Define the Bohr radius.
- Calculate the energy of an electron in the ground state of hydrogen.
- Explain trends in ionization energy across the periodic table.
- Describe the ground state of the gas phase atom.
Reading
Archived Lecture Notes #1 (PDF), Sections 3, 5
| Book Chapters | Topics |
|---|---|
| [Saylor] 6.3, “Atomic Spectra and Models of the Atom.” | Line spectra; the Bohr model; uses of emission and absorption spectra |
Lecture Video
Resources
Lecture Summary
This lecture gives more details about the atomic spectra of hydrogen along with matter/energy interactions involving atomic hydrogen.
Prof. Sadoway discusses the following:
- Bohr model
- Energy levels
- Stimulated emissions
- Photons
Homework
Textbook Problems
| [Saylor] Sections | Conceptual | Numerical |
|---|---|---|
| [Saylor] 6.3, “Atomic Spectra and Models of the Atom.” | none | 1, 3 |
For Further Study
Supplemental Readings
Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia H. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: An Autobiography and Other Recollections. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1996. ISBN: 9780521482516.
Baade, W., and Cecilia Payne. Evolution of Stars and Galaxies. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1963.
Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia H. Stars and Clusters. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1979. ISBN: 9780674834408.
People
Niels Bohr - 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics
Max Planck - 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics
Ernest Rutherford - 1908 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Other OCW and OER Content
| Content | Provider | Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.111 Principles of Chemical Science | MIT OpenCourseWare | Undergraduate (first-year) | Lecture 5: Hydrogen Atom Energy Levels |
| The Hydrogen Atom | HyperPhysics | High school |
