The ground-state energy of an electron in a hydrogen atom is $-13.6 \mathrm{eV}$. This means that the binding energy of that electron is
A) $-13.6 \mathrm{eV}$.
B) $+13.6 \mathrm{eV}$.
C) Some other value (specify).

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The binding energy of an electron in a hydrogen atom is the energy required to remove the electron from its orbit around the nucleus. Since the ground-state energy is $-13.6 \mathrm{eV}$, it means that $+13.6 \mathrm{eV}$ of energy is needed to free the electron, making the binding energy $+13.6 \mathrm{eV}$.

The Ground-State Energy of an Electron in a Hydrogen Atom −13.6eV-13.6 \mathrm{eV}−13.6eV

The Ground-State Energy of an Electron in a Hydrogen Atom $-13.6 \mathrm{eV}$