Chapter 11: Introduction to Modern Atomic Theory

The energy levels in the Bohr model of the hydrogen atoms are labeled using the letter n. n is called a quantum number. It can only have whole number values ranging from 1 to infinity. Because n can only have whole number value it is said to be a quantized.

So the electron can only exist in allowed energy levels, n = 1, n = 2,n = 3,n = 4, etc. Notice the energy levels get closer together as n increases.

The radius of the orbit the electron has in each subsequent level gets larger and larger.

The ground state (when n = 1) is called the ground state.

The electron in the Bohr model orbits the nucleus.

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