DrDu said:You can probe it e.g. using x-ray scattering.
Jano L. said:Do you know some example? I heard that hydrogens are usually invisible in X-rays of periodic structures (metals, proteins), probably due to the fact that other atoms have much more electrons and re-radiate much stronger radiation which thus overshines the radiation due to hydrogens.
ftr said:It is quite strange, I asked this question for a particular reason I had, it turns out that the answer involves an experiment done only few days ago!
DrDu said:This is a popular article and you should not believe everything written in it. First you don't see the orbitals but at best the electronic density. The electronic density can be mapped accurately e.g. with high precision X-ray crystallography (also for compounds containing hydrogen), so it is certainly not the first time "orbitals" have been observed.
I was thinking of X-ray scattering in the gas phase on hydrogen atoms. This is certainly demanding (as gadong pointed out it is difficult to create a flux of atomic hydrogen, but possible) and I don't know whether it has been performed. The experiment cited by gadong is very similar to my idea, only that it uses electron scattering and not x-ray scattering.
DrDu said:This is a popular article and you should not believe everything written in it. First you don't see the orbitals but at best the electronic density. The electronic density can be mapped accurately e.g. with high precision X-ray crystallography (also for compounds containing hydrogen), so it is certainly not the first time "orbitals" have been observed.
The radial probability density for the hydrogen ground state is a measure of the likelihood of finding the electron at a certain distance from the nucleus in the lowest energy level of a hydrogen atom. It is represented by the function Pr(r), where r is the distance from the nucleus.
The radial probability density is calculated using the wave function of the hydrogen atom, which is a mathematical expression that describes the behavior of the electron. The square of the wave function, |Ψ(r)|2, gives the probability of finding the electron at a specific distance r from the nucleus. The radial probability density is then obtained by multiplying this probability by the surface area of a spherical shell with radius r.
The maximum value of the radial probability density for the hydrogen ground state occurs at the most probable radius, which is equal to a0, the Bohr radius. At this distance, the electron has a 50% chance of being found. The maximum value of the radial probability density is given by Pr(a0) = (4/a03)e-2.
The radial probability density decreases with increasing distance from the nucleus. This is because the electron has a higher probability of being found closer to the nucleus, as it is more strongly attracted to the positive charge of the nucleus. As the distance increases, the probability of finding the electron decreases exponentially.
The radial probability density for the hydrogen ground state has important physical significance in understanding the electronic structure of atoms. It gives us information about the distribution of the electron around the nucleus, which is crucial in determining the size and shape of atoms. It also provides insights into the energy levels and chemical properties of elements.