An experimental measurement of the energy levels of the hydrogen molecule H₂ shows that the energy levels are evenly spaced and separated by about 9 * 10^-20 J.A reasonable model of one of the hydrogen atoms would then seem to be that of a hydrogen atom in a simple harmonic oscillator potential.Assuming that the hydrogen atom is attached by a spring with a spring constant k to the molecule,what is the spring constant k? A)2.0 N/m B)700 N/m C)950 N/m D)1200 N/m E)2600 N/m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy levels of a simple harmonic oscillator are given by E_n = (n + 1/2)ħω, where ω = sqrt(k/m). The energy difference ΔE = ħω = 9 * 10^-20 J. Using the mass of a hydrogen atom (approximately 1.67 * 10^-27 kg), we can solve for k, which gives approximately 2600 N/m.

An Experimental Measurement of the Energy Levels of the Hydrogen