Re: Why is the Hydrogen atom spin 1/2?


Jim Heckman wrote:
> [top posting fixed]
>
> On 4-Oct-2005, quach.james@xxxxxxxxx
> wrote in message <1128475809.047591.15680@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
>
> > Jim Heckman wrote:
> >
> > > On 3-Oct-2005, quach.james@xxxxxxxxx
> > > wrote in message
> > > <1128336634.336283.241880@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> > >
> > > > Why is the Hydrogen atom spin 1/2, when it consists of an election
> > > > (spin 1/2), proton (spin 1/2) and neutron (spin 1/2)?
> > >
> > > Two of the three spins add 'opposite' to each other and cancel out,
> > > so only one of the spin-1/2's is left over.
> >
> > What about for the Hydrogen atom when there exists only a proton and
> > electron?
>
> Then the total spin is either 0 or 1, depending on whether the
> proton and electron spins are aligned together or opposite each
> other. (This is a simplified picture; quantum mechanics makes it
> more complicated than just adding the spins together.) The two spin
> states have different energy levels, and atoms transitioning
> between them give rise to the famous 21-cm hyperfine spectral line.

Jim, he described deuterium (H2) which has a nuclear spin of one
because the H2 nucleus is the combination of proton and neutron.

The spin of the deuterium nucleus is the spin of that hydrogen isotope,
and is determined by nmr.

The total deuterium magnetic moment is about equal to the difference in
the proton [(+) magnetic moement] and the neutron [(-) magnetic
moment].

Since the H2 magnetic moments are subtracting, we know the proton and
neutron are spinning in the same direction, making a spin of one.

Electron spin has nothing to do with nuclear spin states.

Regards: Tom;

www.amazon.com 0963154664

.

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