A hydrogen atom has a single proton at its center and a single electron at a distance of approximately 0.0537 nm from the proton. What is the electric potential energy in joules?
P.E. = -ke^2/r
e is the electron charge and k is the coulomb constant.
To find the electric potential energy between the proton and electron in a hydrogen atom, you need to use the formula for the electric potential energy between two charged particles:
Electric Potential Energy = (k * q1 * q2) / r
where:
k is the Coulomb's constant = 9.0 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2
q1 and q2 are the charges of the particles (in this case, the proton and electron) = 1.6 x 10^-19 C
r is the distance between the particles = 0.0537 nm = 0.0537 x 10^-9 m
Now, let's substitute the values into the formula:
Electric Potential Energy = (9.0 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2) * (1.6 x 10^-19 C) * (1.6 x 10^-19 C) / (0.0537 x 10^-9 m)
Calculating the above expression gives us the electric potential energy in joules.