Problem #0057 Quantum Physics Problem #0059 Chapters Chapters

759.

Problem 40.43P (HRW)

We have to calculate the probability that the electron in the hydrogen atom, in its ground state, will be found between spherical shells whose radii are a and 2a, where a is the Bohr radius.

Solution:             Click For PDF Version

The radial probability density for a hydrogen atom is defined such that gives the probability for the electron to be found in the volume enclosed by concentric spherical shell of radius r and thickness . For the hydrogen atom in the ground state, we have

,

in which a is the Bohr radius. We recall that

Therefore, the probability of finding electron in the volume between the spherical shells of radii a and 2a will be given by the following integral:

The probability of finding the electron in the hydrogen atom, in its ground state, between spherical shells whose radii are a and 2a will, therefore, be 43.9%.