Hydrogen atom probability of electron inside nucleus

In summary: Can someone please help me out here!In summary, the ground state of the hydrogen atom has the wavefunction: \psi (r) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{\pi}} (\frac{1}{a_{0}})^{\frac{3}{2}} e^{-r/a_{0}}, where a_{0} = 0.53Å. a) Calculate the probability that an electron will be found inside the nucleus of the hydrogen atom, which is assumed to be 10^{-15} m in radius. P(r) = \int_{0}^{10^{-15m}}\psi^{*}(r)\psi(r) dr
  • #1
FatPhysicsBoy
62
0

Homework Statement



The ground state of the hydrogen atom has the wavefunction: [itex]\psi (r) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{\pi}} (\frac{1}{a_{0}})^{\frac{3}{2}} e^{-r/a_{0}}[/itex], where [itex]a_{0} = 0.53Å[/itex]

a) Calculate the probability that an electron will be found inside the nucleus of the hydrogen atom, which is assumed to be [itex]10^{-15} m[/itex] in radius.

Homework Equations



[itex]P(r) = \int_{0}^{10^{-15m}}\psi^{*}(r)\psi(r) dr[/itex]

[itex]P_{nl}(r) = \int_{r}^{r+dr}R_{nl}^{*}(r) R_{nl}(r) 4\pi r^{2} dr[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution



Okay, so I tried solving this problem using the first integral above and got something ridiculous so had a bit of a read and remembered something about a volume element in the integral for the probability density. I suppose I was only considering a plane slice or something.

Anyway, I'm having trouble understanding where the second integral comes from (I got it out of a book), in particular the factor of [itex]4\pi r^{2}[/itex] in the integral. So looking at it I'm guessing the R's refer to the radial part of the wavefunction in spherical coordinates which is the same as the first integral since it's [itex]\psi (r)[/itex]. Now the book says that the factor of [itex]4\pi r^{2}[/itex] is present because the volume enclosed between spheres of radius [itex]r[/itex] and [itex]r + dr[/itex] is given by that factor, however I can't figure it out! I've tried calculating the volume of two spheres of radius [itex]r[/itex] and [itex]r + dr[/itex] respectively and it feels like I'm sort of close but I can't get to it!

Can anyone explain to me what it's doing there, the books explanation makes intuitive sense when you picture what you're integrating over but I don't understand how that is equivalent to this factor in the integral!

Thank you!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
You don't need the second integral.
4 pi r^2 is the surface area of a sphere, and the second integral calculates the probability to find the electron in a thin (dr) spherical shell.

If you want to simplify the problem, you can assume that the magnitude of the wave function is constant within the nucleus.
The result will be extremely small.
 
  • #3
mfb said:
You don't need the second integral.
4 pi r^2 is the surface area of a sphere, and the second integral calculates the probability to find the electron in a thin (dr) spherical shell.

If you want to simplify the problem, you can assume that the magnitude of the wave function is constant within the nucleus.
The result will be extremely small.

I think for the problem I'm supposed to use the approximation that [itex]e^{-r/a_{0}} \approx 1[/itex] since [itex]r << a_{0}[/itex], this approach has come up many times in the past for virtually the same question in my Atomic & Nuclear Physics course and Quantum Mechanics course.

However, my question wasn't really about solving this problem, and I understand that [itex]4 \pi r^{2}[/itex] is the surface area of a sphere and we're calculating the probability to find the electron in a thin [itex](dr)[/itex] spherical shell, however, as I said, intuitively this makes sense but I don't understand the maths of it.
 

FAQ: Hydrogen atom probability of electron inside nucleus

1. What is the probability of finding an electron inside the nucleus of a hydrogen atom?

The probability of finding an electron inside the nucleus of a hydrogen atom is extremely low, close to zero. This is because electrons are negatively charged and are repelled by the positively charged nucleus.

2. How does the probability of finding an electron inside the nucleus change with the energy level of the electron?

The probability of finding an electron inside the nucleus decreases as the energy level of the electron increases. This is because higher energy levels have a larger distance from the nucleus, making it less likely for the electron to be found inside the nucleus.

3. Is there a way to accurately measure the exact probability of an electron being inside the nucleus of a hydrogen atom?

No, the exact probability of an electron being inside the nucleus of a hydrogen atom cannot be measured. This is because it is impossible to determine the exact position and momentum of an electron simultaneously, due to the uncertainty principle in quantum mechanics.

4. How does the size of the nucleus affect the probability of finding an electron inside it?

The size of the nucleus has a direct effect on the probability of finding an electron inside it. A smaller nucleus, such as in a hydrogen atom, has a higher probability of containing the electron compared to a larger nucleus, such as in an atom with more protons and neutrons.

5. Can an electron ever be found inside the nucleus of a hydrogen atom?

No, according to the laws of quantum mechanics, an electron can never be found inside the nucleus of a hydrogen atom. This is because the electron and nucleus have opposite charges and are repelled from each other, making it physically impossible for the electron to occupy the same space as the nucleus.

Similar threads

Replies
22
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Back
Top