Consider a planet where the temperature is so high that the ground state of an electron in the hydrogen atom is n = 4.What is the ratio of ionization energy for hydrogen on this planet compared to that on Earth?
A)1 : 4
B)4 : 1
C)1 : 16
D)16 : 1
E)1 : 1

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ionization energy of hydrogen is given by:
E = -13.6/n^2 electron volts (eV)
On the planet, the ground state is n=4, so the ionization energy would be:
E = -13.6/4^2 = -0.85 eV
On Earth, the ground state is n=1, so the ionization energy would be:
E = -13.6/1^2 = -13.6 eV
The ratio of ionization energy between the planet and Earth would be:
-0.85/-13.6 = 1/16
Therefore, the ratio of ionization energy for hydrogen on this planet compared to that on Earth is 1:16.

Consider a Planet Where the Temperature Is So High That