The Most Probable Radius
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The radial probability density for the hydrogen ground state is obtained by multiplying the square of the wavefunction by a spherical shell volume element. 氢原子的径向概率密度是通过将波函数的平方乘以一个球壳体积元得到的。
![]() It takes this comparatively simple form because the 1s state is spherically symmetric and no angular terms appear. 它具有这种相对简单的形式,因为1s态是球对称的,没有角向部分出现。
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Dropping off the constant terms and taking the derivative with respect to r and setting it equal to zero gives the radius for maximum probability.


which gives

where

The most probable radius is the ground state radius obtained from the Bohr theory. The Schrodinger equation confirms the first Bohr radius as the most probable radius but goes further to describe in detail the profile of probability for the electron radius.
| Probability for a radial range
径向范围的概率 |
| Expectation value for radius
半径的期望值 |
| HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics
HyperPhysics ***** 量子物理 | R Nave |
The Expectation Value for Radius
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The average or "expectation value" of the radius for the electron in the ground state of hydrogen is obtained from the integral 氢原子中电子在基态时半径的平均值(或期望值)通过积分获得
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This requires integration by parts. The solution is

All the terms containing r are zero, leaving

It may seem a bit surprising that the average value of r is 1.5 x the first Bohr radius, which is the most probable value. The extended tail of the probability density accounts for the average being greater than the most probable value.
| Radial behavior of ground state
基态的径向行为 | Most probable radius
最可能半径 |
| Probability for a radial range
径向范围的概率 |
| HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics
HyperPhysics ***** 量子物理 | R Nave |