The kinetic energy of the ground state electron in hydrogen is +13.6 eV. What is its potential energy?
A)-13.6 eV
B)+27.2 eV
C)-27.2 eV
D)+56.2 eV
E)zero eV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total energy of the electron in the ground state of hydrogen is -13.6 eV. The kinetic energy is +13.6 eV, so the potential energy, which is twice the magnitude of the total energy but negative, is -27.2 eV.

The Kinetic Energy of the Ground State Electron in Hydrogen