This applet displays the electronic energy levels of hydrogenic atoms from atomic number 1 to atomic number 7. A hydrogenic atom is one with only one electron. Examples include H, He +1, Li +2, and Be +3. The hydrogenic atom was adequately explained by the Bohr atom; more complex atoms are often impossible to solve exactly, because of the difficulties in accounting for the electron-electron repulsion terms.
Click on the Z+ button to increase the atomic number, and on the Z- button to decrease the atomic number.
Click on the n+ button to increase the principal quantum number n, and on n- to decrease the principal quantum number. Notice that n has integer values from 1, 2, 3...
The individual electronic energy levels are each displayed by a different color, with the lowest energy level (n=1) being displayed in red.
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