A hydrogen atom consists of a positively charged proton (nucleus) and a negatively charged electron. The following is correct due to Coulomb's law:
a.The two particles repel each other
b.The electron accelerates toward the proton
c.The electron and proton are in mechanical equilibrium, thus no net force acts between them
d.The electron moves with constant velocity
e.None of these statements is correct
b. is correct, both in the classical model, and also in quantum mechanical model, an attractve force towrds the nucleus ios assumed.
Regarding (d): Coulomb's law says nothing about velocity. In the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom, some orbits have constant velocity, and some don't, but his model is obsolete. Forgetaboutit
don't the attractive forces of the protons on the electron, and the electron on the proton cancel out? and hence be c?
The correct statement according to Coulomb's law is (a) - "The two particles repel each other."
To explain why, we need to understand Coulomb's law. It states that the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Mathematically, it can be expressed as F = k(q1q2/r^2), where F is the force, k is the constant of proportionality, q1 and q2 are the charges of the particles, and r is the distance between them.
In the case of a hydrogen atom, the proton at the nucleus has a positive charge, while the electron has a negative charge. Since opposite charges attract each other, according to Coulomb's law, there is a force of attraction between the proton and the electron.
However, it's important to note that while there is an attractive force, the electron's motion around the nucleus is governed by other factors, such as quantum mechanics. It doesn't follow the classical laws of mechanics that we are familiar with. Therefore, none of the other statements (b, c, and d) is correct.