Chemical Thermodynamics

The Hydrogen Atom

Hydrogen is the simplest atom. It contains one proton and one electron. The proton is the central core, the nucleus. Contrary to popular belief, electrons do not orbit the nucleus like the planets orbit the sun. When a small particle like an electron is confined to a small space, it no longer behaves like a particle. Its energy now must jump in discrete steps. This situation is analogous to a baseball that can only be thrown at 20, 50 or 90 mph. If a pitcher tries to throw it at any other speed, the baseball will still travel at 20, 50 or 90 mph. Furthermore, the electron can never be precisely located at any instant in time. The electron is always found somewhere in its orbital (figure 6.0).

   When the electron orbitals merge to form a hydrogen molecule, the two electrons are free to occupy either orbital. Both hydrogen atoms share these two electrons. Because each electron can be found anywhere in this merged orbital, the electrons can find a lower energy state. This is why chemical bonds form.

Figure 6.0: Hydrogen Atom

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