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“Structure of the Atom: Quantum Reading and JEE Advanced Practice” is available to Standard subscribers.

Why can an electron in an atom never be at rest? Why does oxygen lose an electron more easily than nitrogen, although its nucleus pulls harder? In this course we read two ideas that the main chapter only touches: the electron in a box, and the shielding of the nucleus by the inner electrons. Then we solve harder problems and take a JEE Advanced style test.

3Lessons12Problems2Python Labs1Question Set1Mock Test

Read the first lesson freeExtended reading: the electron in a box

What's inside

Extended reading: the electron in a box: A wave held between two walls must fit a whole number of half-waves, so its energy is $E = \frac{n^2h^2}{8mL^2}$

The chapter itself stays free

This is an extra course for Structure of Atom. Its main courses are open to everyone:

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Extended reading: Slater's rules and ionisation energy: In an atom with several electrons, the inner electrons shield the nucleus. Slater's rules give the shielding S and so the effective nuclear charge

Z_{\text{eff}} = Z - S

. They explain why 4s fills before 3d and why 4s electrons leave first. The ionisation energy follows Z_eff, with two dips that need an extra reason: Be and B, and N and O.

JEE Advanced practice: chaining the photon, the atom and the electron: JEE Advanced often links three ideas in one problem. A one-electron ion gives out a photon. The photon frees an electron from a metal, and the freed electron has a de Broglie wavelength. Work each step in electronvolts, check that the kinetic energy is positive, then use the wavelength formula.