Hartree energyThe Hartree energy is a physical constant equal to twice the binding energy of the electron in the ground state (the lowest-energy state) of the hydrogen atom . When a hydrogen atom is in this state, an amount of energy equal to 0.5 Hartree is necessary to free the electron and thereby cause the atom to become an ion . The value of the Hartree energy is approximately 4.36 x 10 -18 joule (J), or 27.2 electronvolts (eV). The constant gets its name from the 20th-century physicist Douglas Hartree. It is sometimes used as an energy unit in theoretical physics. Also see Table of Physical Constants .
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| Last updated on:
Sep 21, 2005 |
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