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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > March  >
Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Probability and Atomic Radius in the H Atom
William J. McInerny
City College of San Francisco, Department of Chemistry, Ocean and Phelan Avenues, San Francisco, CA 94112

Cover
March 1999
Vol. 76 No. 3
p. 443

Abstract
The problem of defining the radius of inclusion (R) for a given probability for the 1s state of the H atom is discussed in this article. Using the explicit form of the wave function, an integration over the spherical coordinates 0 < r < R, 0 < S < p , 0 < f < 2p is effected, and the resulting function in R is set equal to the specified probability. After the integration result is recast in an alternative logarithmic form, a simple direct iteration scheme is applied to the logarithmic form to determine a resulting atomic radius (R) for any given probability. A brief computer program is included for student implementation and extension. Possible improvements and extensions are suggested.
More Information
*  Citation
McInerny, William J. J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 443.
*  Keywords
Physical Chemistry; Atomic Properties / Structure; Quantum Chemistry; Theoretical Chemistry
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
June 15, 1999
June 22, 2005
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999 > March > Page 443


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