Question Details

In the Bohrs model of the hydrogen atom, the ratio of the kinetic energy to the total energy of the electron in a quantum state n is:

Options

A

1

B

2

C

-1

D

-2

Correct Answer :

-1

Solution :

The correct option is -1.

Let us understand why this is the correct answer step-by-step using Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom.

In Bohr's model, the electron revolves around the nucleus (proton) in a stable circular orbit of radius r. The electrostatic force of attraction between the positively charged nucleus and the negatively charged electron provides the necessary centripetal force for this circular motion.

Mathematically, we can write:
m v 2 r = 1 4 π ε 0 e 2 r 2
where m is the mass of the electron, v is its orbital velocity, e is the elementary charge, and ε0 is the permittivity of free space.

From this relation, we can express the quantity mv2 as:
m v 2 = e 2 4 π ε 0 r

Now, let us write the expressions for Kinetic Energy (KE), Potential Energy (PE), and Total Energy (E):

1. Kinetic Energy (KE):
The kinetic energy of the electron is given by:
KE = 1 2 m v 2
Substituting the value of mv2 from the force equation, we get:
KE = e 2 8 π ε 0 r

2. Potential Energy (PE):
The electrostatic potential energy of the electron-nucleus system is:
PE = - e 2 4 π ε 0 r

3. Total Energy (E):
The total energy of the electron in the orbit is the sum of its kinetic and potential energies:
E = KE + PE
Substituting the expressions for KE and PE:
E = e 2 8 π ε 0 r - e 2 4 π ε 0 r
E = - e 2 8 π ε 0 r

Comparing the expressions for Kinetic Energy (KE) and Total Energy (E), we can see that:
E = - KE

Therefore, the ratio of the kinetic energy to the total energy of the electron is:
KE E = KE - KE = - 1

This confirms that the ratio is indeed -1.

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