Question

(a) If the radial part of a particle’s wavefunction is R(r), what is the probability of finding the particle somewhere between radius r₁ and r₂?

(b) Write down the radial wavefunction R₁₀(r) for the n = 1, l = 0 state of the hydrogen atom. The nucleus of the hydrogen atom is a proton, which has a radius r_p = 10¹⁵ m. Write down an approximate expression for R₁₀(r) which is valid for r ≤ r_p. What is the probability of finding the electron inside the proton?

(c) Repeat part (b) for the n = 2, l = 1 state of hydrogen. Explain the difference between your results.

Answer 1