PHYS 3310 Module 7.2

Orbital Magnetic Dipole Moment of the Electron

Recommended Reading

7.1 Orbital Magnetic Dipole Moment of the Electron

Learning Objectives

  • Explain why the hydrogen atom has magnetic properties
  • Explain why the energy levels of a hydrogen atom associated with orbital angular momentum are split by an external magnetic field
  • Use quantum numbers to calculate the magnitude and direction of the orbital magnetic dipole moment of a hydrogen atom

Magnetic Dipole Moment and the Zeeman Effect

Discuss!

Hydrogen gas is excited from the 1s state to the 2p state. Upon transition back to the ground state, photons with energy Ephoton are emitted.

(a) Sketch the energy diagram for hydrogen when a  magnetic field, Bext, is turned on.

(b) For a magnetic field of Bext = 1.50 T, calculate the energies of the  photons emitted when the field is turned on. 

Hydrogen gas is excited from the 2p state to the 3d state. Upon transition back to the 2p state, photons with energy Ephoton are emitted.

(a) Sketch the energy diagram for hydrogen when a magnetic field, Bext, is turned on.

(b) For a magnetic field of Bext = 1.50 T, calculate the energies of the photons emitted from the 3d -> 2p transition when the field is turned on. 

(c) What are the energies of the emitted photons when you take into account the selection rules?