H-Atom

[305892961]

How come for many of the equations they only apply to the hydrogen atom? Why would we base equations off of the only atom with 1 electron?

[Alyssa Orantes 2D]

Hi!

It's the first element in the periodic table so thats is why I believe it is all based on it and because the atomic number is 1 so it would work with all of the equations. Hope this helps!

[Joyce Lee 2F]

I think this has something to do with the fact that Hydrogen (and other Hydrogen like atoms) have only one electron. With other atoms that have more than one electron, we would be unable to determine the ground state or anything of the sort.

[Mark Cortes 2I]

The 2 main reasons are simplicity and abundance. Hydrogen is the simplest element in the universe, as it has only 1 proton and 1 electron. Its atomic structure provides a straightforward, convenient foundation for chemists to study atomic and molecular behavior (hence why most equations are based on the H-atom). Hydrogen is also the most abundant element in the universe (3/4's of all matter), so it is very common in dealing with chemical equations.