An Explanation for the Stability of the Hydrogen Atom

Early models of the hydrogen atom such as the Bohr model and quantum mechanics model failed to explain the stability of the ground state electron bound to the nucleus of the hydrogen atom. In the article entitled Modeling hydrogen’s spectral lines , the exited states for this atom can be explained by the hydride ion model. Now the question is: “Why doesn’t the electron in the ground state fall into the nucleus of the atom?” as predicted by classical physics. The hydrogen atom with its bound electron is stable to radiation, an obvious experimental fact, and it is assumed there must be classical mechanism that explains this stability.

First, it is fundamental to our understanding of the atom that the laws and principles of classical physics apply, and hence, the derivation of the potential and kinetic energy equations of Niels Bohr are valid equations. However, one may with justification question his postulates. It is interesting to note that Bohr was able to predict both the ground state radius of .529 angstrom and the angular momentum of the electron of h-bar and both of these values are verified by the hydride ion model. Considering Bohr's findings and the predictions of the hydride ion model for momentum of a free electron of h-bar, it is clear that a negatively charged unbound electron spiraling toward a positively charged proton will radiate energy until it reaches a state in which the angular momentum is again h-bar, thus obeying the law of conservation of angular momentum. No other values of the angular momentum are physically possible.

Second, a spiraling electron is assumed to stop radiating energy once it reaches the Bohr radius. This phenomenon can happen only if the positively charged proton of the nucleus of the atom senses a charged ring produced by the spiraling electron with sufficient velocity to uniformly distribute the charge of the electron around the ring. Under these the conditions, the mathematics of the charged ring prevail and the electric potential of the electron is E(r=0) = E(r=infinity) = 0, where r is the distance from the ring to the proton. Thus, mathematically there exits a minimum potential somewhere in between these extremes and it can be shown that this minimum potential occurs at the Bohr radius. A free electron will immediately “snap” to this location external to the proton without the ability to move closer and must stop radiating energy given the fact when an electron radiates energy away it must move closer to the nucleus, a necessary requirement for conservation of angular momentum.