Question

Which statement about the quantum mechanical solution for the hydrogen atom is correct?

a) Electrons in a hydrogen atom can occupy any energy level simultaneously.
b) Electrons in a hydrogen atom follow predictable orbits like planets in a solar system.
c) The exact position and momentum of an electron in a hydrogen atom can be simultaneously known.
d) The quantum mechanical solution for the hydrogen atom involves probability distributions for electron locations.

Answer 1

The correct statement about the quantum mechanical solution for the hydrogen atom is that it involves probability distributions for electron locations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement about the quantum mechanical solution for the hydrogen atom is option d) The quantum mechanical solution for the hydrogen atom involves probability distributions for electron locations. In quantum mechanics, the position and momentum of an electron in a hydrogen atom cannot be simultaneously known with certainty, which is known as the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Instead, the location of the electron is described by a probability distribution, represented by the wavefunction or psi function. The square of the magnitude of the wavefunction gives the probability density of finding the electron at a particular location in the atom.