The frequency of Bohr`s electron

The idea that one should abandon classical concepts to understand atomic phenomena was
almost clear to Bohr by the time of his doctorate thesis. By the end of 1911, he wrote a
letter to McLaren expressing his conviction that very little was known from the movement of
electrons in metals. In his dissertation it was already evident for him that Lorentz electron
theory was not enough to surmount some unexplained phenomena. He guessed there was
something wrong about how electrons interact with ions. In a couple of years, Bohr moved
his attention from free electrons (as in metals) to bound electrons.

Following L´eon Rosenfeld’s testimony, by July 1912, in a memorandum addressed to

Rutherford, Bohr already expresses the kinetic energy of an electron inside the atom as
proportional to its revolution frequency, but without fixing the proportionality constant
neither relating it to Planck’s constant. In this memorandum nothing else is said about
this energy. Rosenfeld seems to accept that in 1912 Bohr already considered the argument
he used in the 1913 first paper, namely: that the bound energy of the electron is equal in
magnitude to half the mean energy in the revolution period. Let us briefly review the steps.
Starting from Rutherford’s hydrogen model, in which the atom is made of a nucleus
with very tiny dimensions of positive electric charge (+e), and of an electron with negative
charge (−e), Bohr admitted the electron to describe elliptical stationary orbits with velocity
(v) much less than that of light in the vacuum (c), and that there is no radiation loss. In
addition, the interaction between the electron and the nucleus could be described by an
electrostatic Coulombian force (F) given by

e2
F =−
4πε * r 2
where r is the relative distance.

In a first moment of the 1913 famous paper [Niels Bohr, “On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules”.
Philosophical Magazine S. 6, 26 (151), 1-25 (1913).], Bohr focused his attention on how an
electron can be bound to a nucleus. In the second section of his paper, we read:
 2
“(...) let us assume that the electron at the beginning of the interaction with the
nucleus was at a great distance apart from the nucleus, and had no sensible velocity
relative to the latter. Let us further assume that the electron after the interaction
has taken place has settled down in a stationary orbit around the nucleus.”

And he goes on saying that “let us now assume that, during the binding of the electron, a
homogeneous radiation is emitted of a frequency ν, equal to half the frequency of revolution
of the electron in its final orbit”.

In our notation, this means to admit the frequency postulate, namely that

f
ν=
2
Indeed, he assumed that electron`s wave energy is equal to the kinetic energy of electron - particle.

hf
Ewave = hν = Ekinetic =
2
or
f
ν=
2

Where h is Planck`s constant , m is mass of electron and V is velocity of revolution

of the electron in its first orbit.

In fact, electron`s wave energy is equal to the potential energy of electron-particle

Ewave = − E potential

e2
Ewave = = mV 2 = hf
4πε * r
or
ν=f

Fine structure constant is given by formula

V
α= = 4πrR
c
and
V = 4πcrR

Where r is radius of electron in its first orbit, c is speed of light and R is Rydberg constant.

Radoslav Rasko Jovanovic, Jyly 2010

 3
As circumference of the Bohr`s circle is equal to the electron`s wavelength

V V
λ = 2πr = VT = =
f ν
V 4πcrR
ν= =
2πr 2πr
ν = 2cR
As we know, angular velocity of Bohr`s electron is

ω = 2πf = 2πν = 4πcR

Period of of revolution of the electron in its final orbit is

1 1
T= =
f ν
1
T=
2cR
By using CODATA 2006 values, we have:

The frequency of revolution of the electron in its first orbit is

ν = 6.57968392072 *1015 Hz

The Period of revolution of the electron in its first orbit is

T = 0.1519829846 *10 −15 sec

The velocity of revolution of the electron in its first orbit is

m
V = 2.1876912541564 *106
sec
The value of angular velocity of Bohr`s electron is

rad
ω = 41.3413733365 *1015
sec

Radoslav Rasko Jovanovic, Jyly 2010

 4

The Ionization Energy of Hydrogen

The term ionization energy of an atom or molecule is the minimal energy required to remove (to infinity) an electron
from the atom or molecule isolated in free space and in its ground electronic state.
In atomic physics the ionization energy is measured using the unit "electronvolt" (eV).
We can determine the ionization energy of hydrogen.

mV 2
Eionization = Etotal = −
2
− 9.10938214995 *10 −31 * (2.187691254156413 *106 ) 2
Eionization = J
2
Eionization = −21.7987197089897 *10 −19 J

This gives a voltage of:

1 * electronVolt
Eionization = −21.7987197089897 *10 −19 Joule *
1.60217648753 *10 −19 Joule
Eionization = −13.60569193135 * electronVolt

The ionization energy of hydrogen is 13.6eV. The highest energy level that an electron can have in a hydrogen
atom is 13.6eV. This is the ground state energy of the electron. Thereby, it takes an energy of 13.6 electronvolts to
remove an electron in the ground state from the hydrogen atom.
The following illustration is not to scale, but is representative of the numbers and states.

Radoslav Rasko Jovanovic, Jyly 2010

 5

Rydberg formula for hydrogen is

1 ν kn 1 1
= = R*( − )
λnk c k 2 n2
or
(k 2 − n 2 )
ν kn = −cR
k 2n2

Where

λkn is the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation emitted in vacuum,

ν kn is the frequency of electromagnetic radiation emitted in vacuum,
n and k are integers such that k > n.

Ionization energy of Bohr`s electron is

(∞ 2 − 12 )
hν kn = −hcR *
∞2
or
hν kn = −hcR

By using CODATA 2006 values, we have:

Eionization = −6.62606896372 *10 −34 * 2.99792458 *108 *1.09737315685 *107 J

Eionization = −21.7987197090911 *10 −19 J

This gives a voltage of:

1* electronVolt
Eionization = −21.7987197090911*10 −19 Joule *
1.60217648753 *10 −19 Joule
Eionization = −13.60569193141* electronVolt

The term "ionization energy" is sometimes used as a name for the work needed to remove (to infinity) the topmost
electron from an atom or molecule adsorbed onto a surface. So “the ionization energy of hydrogen” is the energy
needed to remove the Bohr`s electron from hydrogen atom:

Radoslav Rasko Jovanovic, Jyly 2010

 6
r ∞
Eionization = ∫ Fcentripetal dr + ∫ Fpotential dr =
0 r
r r ∞
mV e 2
1 2
e2 ∞ 1
=∫ dr − ∫ r 2 dr = ∫ mω rdr − 4πε ∫ r 2 dr =
2

0 r 4πε r 0 r

mω 2 r 2 r e2 1 ∞ mV 2 e 2 1
= 0 + r = −
2 4πε r 2 4πε r

By using CODATA 2006 values, we have:

Eionization = (21.78719709064 − 43.59743941832) *10 −19 J

Eionizaton = −21.79871970924 *10 −19 J

This gives a voltage of

1 * electronVolt
Eionization = −21.79871970924 *10 −19 Joule *
1.60217648753 *10 −19 Joule
Eionization = −13.605691931508 * electronVolt

Radoslav Rasko Jovanovic, Jyly 2010