ground state

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ground state

An electron in a hydrogen atom occupies its ground state.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The lowest energy state of an atom or other particle: In physics, the "ground state" is the most stable, lowest-energy configuration that a quantum mechanical system (like an atom, molecule, or subatomic particle) can occupy. A system in its ground state has no excess energy to lose.
Usage
  • The term is used primarily in the fields of quantum mechanics, atomic physics, and chemistry to describe the fundamental, unexcited condition of a system.
  • It is often contrasted with "excited state," which refers to any state where the system has higher energy than the ground state.
Examples
  • Noun:
    • When an electron absorbs energy, it can jump from the ground state to an excited state.
    • The stability of an atom is greatest when all its electrons are in the ground state.
    • Calculating the ground state energy of a molecule is a fundamental problem in quantum chemistry.
Advanced Usage
  • "To be in the ground state": Describes a particle or system existing at its minimum energy level.
    • At absolute zero temperature, a system is expected to be in its ground state.
  • "Ground state configuration": Refers to the specific arrangement of electrons in their lowest available orbitals for an atom.
    • The ground state configuration of carbon is 1s² 2s² 2p².
Variants and Related Words
  • Excited State (n): Any state of a quantum system that has a higher energy than the ground state.
    • The laser works by stimulating electrons to drop from an excited state back to the ground state.
  • Ground State Energy (n): The specific energy value associated with the ground state.
    • The ground state energy of the hydrogen atom is -13.6 electron volts.
Synonyms
  • Basal state: A less common synonym emphasizing it as the base level.
  • Lowest energy level: A descriptive phrase for the ground state.
Related Phrases
  • Return to the ground state: The process where an excited system loses energy (e.g., by emitting a photon) to go back to the ground state.
    • The photon is emitted when the atom returns to the ground state.
  • Ground state degeneracy: A situation where the ground state has the same energy for two or more different quantum configurations.
    • The researcher studied the ground state degeneracy of the novel material.
ground state

An electron in a hydrogen atom occupies its ground state.

Noun
  1. (physics) the lowest energy state of an atom or other particle