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American Journal of Physics

Quantum-Mechanical Treatment of the Hydrogen Atom without Complicated Mathematics

B. L. Cohen

Published Sep 1, 1967• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

It is pointed out that treatments of the quantum mechanical hydrogen atom in elementary modern physics texts are generally either hazy or physically incorrect. A treatment using only elementary mathematics is given which yields the correct functional dependence, and reasonably accurate values for the Rydberg constant and the Bohr radius, qualitatively correct wavefunctions, and a semiquantitatively correct energy-level diagram. Above all, it gives and utilizes the correct physical reason for all of these features.

DOI
10.1119/1.1974264

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It is pointed out that treatments of the quantum mechanical hydrogen atom in elementary modern physics texts are generally either hazy or physically incorrect. A treatment using only elementary mathematics is given which yields the correct functional dependence, and reasonably accurate values for the Rydberg constant and the Bohr radius, qualitatively correct wavefunctions, and a semiquantitatively correct energy-level diagram. Above all, it gives and utilizes the correct physical reason for all of these features.
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The Schrödinger equation is the cornerstone of quantum mechanics and is used to determine the energy levels of the hydrogen atom. However, in the teaching of Quantum Chemistry, many students tend to regard the solutions of the Schrödinger equation as purely mathematical results without fully understanding the physical origin of quantum energy levels. In this paper, an approximate model of the hydrogen atom is first developed based on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and the Coulomb potential. This model is then used to derive the Bohr radius and the ground-state energy by minimizing the total energy function. Subsequently, the time-independent Schrödinger equation is formulated and solved by the method of separation of variables in spherical coordinates to obtain the exact energy spectrum of the hydrogen atom. The results demonstrate that both the approximate model and the exact solution predict the same ground-state energy, E1 = −13.6 eV, while the Schrödinger equation further generalizes this result to the quantized energy spectrum, En = −13.6/n2. These findings indicate that the solutions of the Schrödinger equation are not "miraculous" mathematical outcomes but rather the inevitable consequences of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. This approach provides a clearer physical interpretation of quantum energy levels and offers significant pedagogical value for the teaching of Quantum Chemistry.
We re-examine the justification for the imposition of regular boundary conditions on the wavefunction at the Coulomb singularity in the treatment of the hydrogen atom in non-relativistic quantum mechanics. We show that the issue of the correct boundary conditions is not independent of the physical structure of the proton. Under the physically reasonable assumption that the finite size and structure of the proton can be represented as a positive correction to the Coulomb potential, we give a justification for the regular boundary condition, which, in contrast to the usual treatments, is physically motivated and mathematically rigorous. We also describe how irregular boundary conditions can be used to model non-positive corrections to the Coulomb potential.
The past two decades of attention to introductory physics education has emphasized enhanced development of conceptual understanding to accompany calculational ability. Given this, it is surprising that current texts continue to rely on the Bohr model to develop a flawed intuition, and introduce correct atomic physics on an ad hoc basis. For example, Halliday, Resnick, and Walker1 describe the origin of atomic quantum numbers as such: “The restrictions on the values of the quantum number for the hydrogen atom, as listed in Table 39-2, are not arbitrary but come out of the solution to Schrödinger's equation.” They give no further justification, but do point out the values are in conflict with the predictions of the Bohr model.
The existence of line spectra can be explained bymeans of the first “quantum”model of the atom, developed by Bohr in 1913. Although the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom was eventually replaced, it yields the correct values for the observed spectral lines, and gives a substantial insight into the structure of atoms in general. The following derivation has the objective of obtaining the energy levels of the Bohr atom. If we can obtain the energy levels, we can reproduce the hydrogen atom spectra. The derivation proceeds with three major elements: first, use force balance to relate the velocity to the radius of the electron orbit, then use a quantum assumption to get the radius, then solve for the energies.