echo on clc % ---------------------Bohr_Atom.m --------------------------- % % % Atomic Spectra and the Bohr Atom % % % Chemistry 455 % Professor James B. Callis % Summer Quarter 1997 % % % % Press any key to continue pause clc % The Discovery of the Electron % % J. J. Thompson analyzed the cathode rays of a Crooke's tube % % Measured the charge to mass ratio: % % q/m =1.7588e11 coulombs/kg (modern value) % % Deduced the mass to be ~ 6e(-31) kg - tiny. % % Millikan oil droplet experiment refined mass and charge to % be 9.109e(-31) kg and 1.60219e(-19) C. % % Press any key to continue pause clc % The Discovery of the Nucleus % % Ernest Rutherford analyzed the scattering of alpha particles % from thin foils. % % Results could only be explained by a tiny dense nucleus. % % The end of the "plum pudding" model. % % Proposed the planetary model of the atom, with an electron % orbiting about the nucleus. % % Based on the similar form of gravitational and coulombic % forces. % % Press any key to continue pause clc % Problems With the Planetary Model % % The classical theory of Electromagnetism predicts that a % charged body in cyclic motion will radiate energy. % % Thus, the elctron is predicted to lose energy by radiating % and spiral into the nucleus. % % Emission spectra of excited atoms are predicted to have a % continuous distribution of frequencies. % % Real atoms, in contrast, radiate energy at a series of % discrete wavelengths. % % Press any key to continue pause clc % The Empirical Analysis of the Visible Spectrum by Balmer % % Balmer noted that the visible lines were found at the % following wavelengths: % nu_bar = 15,233, 20,565, 23,033, 24,373 and 25,182 cm-1 % % where the wavelengths are expressed as inverse wavelengths % or wavenumbers % % Balmer attempted to associate with each wavelength an % integer. % % He found that there was a linear relationship between the % square of the assigned integer and the frequency. % % This relationship is known as the Balmer formula. % % Press any key to continue pause clc % MATLAB Can Help You Discover the Balmer Formula % % First we assemble the known wavelengths into a vector, nu-bar: % nu_bar = [15233, 20565, 23033, 24373, 25182]; % % Then we assign a quantum number to each member of the array: num = 3:7; % Now we make a plot of nu-bar vs num plot(num, nu_bar) xlabel('num') ylabel('Emission Frequency, wavenumbers') pause % Press any key to continue pause clc clg % Clearly this Doesn't Yield a Linear Relationship % % let's try plotting the inverse integers: % num_inv=1./num; % Now we make a plot of nu-bar vs num plot(num_inv, nu_bar) xlabel('Inverse of Interger Number') ylabel('Emission Frequency, wavenumbers') pause % Press any key to continue pause clc clg % Clearly There Is Still Not a Linear Relationship % % let's try plotting the inverse integers squared: % num_inv_sq= (1./num).^2; % Now we make a plot of nu-bar vs num plot(num_inv_sq, nu_bar) xlabel('Inverse of Integer Number Squared') ylabel('Emission Frequency, wavenumbers') pause % Press any key to continue pause clc clg % The Above Works Much Better % % let's try a different set of inverse integers squared: % num = 4:8; num_inv_sq= (1./num).^2; % Now we make a plot of nu-bar vs num_inv_sq plot(num_inv_sq, nu_bar) xlabel('Inverse of Integer Number Squared') ylabel('Emission Frequency, wavenumbers') pause % Press any key to continue pause clc clg % Summary % % We have seen that the Balmer formula fits the atomic emission % spectrum of hydrogen better than any of the other models % we tried. Moreover, it appears that the constants, 109680 and % intial num = 3 seem to give an uniquely good linear relation- % ship. % % Thus, we have used MATLAB as an effective tool to rule out % various functional forms. This is one of the major jobs of % scientists: to disprove hypothesis. For now we will accept % the Balmer formula as a provisional model. % % % % Press any key to continue pause clc % Limitations of the Balmer Formula and Its Generalization, the % Rydberg Formula % % The problem with these formulae (models) is that they are % purely empirical, and there is no underlying explanation % of the macroscopic observations in terms of the microscopic % behavior of the atoms. % % Also, these models offer no explanation of the Rydberg constant % in terms of other, more fundamental constants of nature. % % Finally, there is no explanation of why the relationships % involve integers. % % Press any key to continue pause clc % The Bohr Atom % % Assumptions: % % The atom consists of an electron orbiting about the nucleus. % % The total energy of the system is the sum of the kinetic % and potential energies. % % The potential energy arises from the Coulombic attraction of % electron and nucleus. % % The angular momentum of the electron is quantized. % % % Press any key to continue pause clc % With these assumptions, Bohr derived an expression for the % energy of the one-electron atomic system. % % It was dependent on the inverse of the square of the quantum % number governing the quantization of the angular momentum. % % It rationalized the line spectra of one-electron atoms and % explained the Rydberg constant in terms of more fundamental % physical constants of nature. % % % Press any key to continue pause clc % Shortcommings of the Bohr Atom % % It is incapable of explaining the spectra of atoms and ions % with more than one electron. % % There is no explanation of why the angular momentum should % be quantized. % % % End of Lecture 2 % Press any key to clear screen and end session. pause clc