To explain Bohr's model of the hydrogen atom, in which the electron is only allowed
to orbit at certain distances from the nucleus, de Broglie postulated that there is a wave associated with the electron with wavelength:
where p is the momentum and h is Planck's constant. For a particle which is confined to orbit around a ring, only waves which fit exactly
around the circumference are allowed. Waves whose length are not multiples of the circumference would interfere with themselves.
Alter the radius in the model below so that the wave until there is no gap between its end and beginning. At this stage, the wave will turn from
red to magenta. You should be able to find several allowed radii.
You can also alter the radius of the ring and investigate the relationship between the allowed wavelengths and the radius of the ring.
The allowed solution for the particle on a ring are linked to the allowed orbits for the
de Broglie hydrogen atom
Press and release the mouse button to freeze and restart the animation.
