The central force acting on an electron in a hydrogen atom is the electrostatic force of attraction between the positively charged nucleus and the negatively charged electron. This force is responsible for keeping the electron in orbit around the nucleus.
The central force can be calculated using Coulomb's Law, which states that the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
The magnitude of the central force on an electron in a hydrogen atom is approximately 8.99 x 109 Newtons. This value is dependent on the distance between the electron and the nucleus, as well as the strength of the charges.
The central force acts as a centripetal force, causing the electron to continuously move in a circular orbit around the nucleus. As the distance between the electron and the nucleus changes, the strength of the central force also changes, resulting in different orbital shapes and energies.
No, the central force between an electron and a nucleus in a hydrogen atom is always attractive. This is because the electron and the nucleus have opposite charges, causing them to be attracted to each other. In other systems, such as molecules, the central force can be either attractive or repulsive depending on the relative charges and distances between particles.