Question

The Oh-My-God particle, an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray detected in 1991, had an estimated energy of 320 exa-[this unit]. For 10 points each:
[10m] 13.6 of what unit is the energy needed to ionize a hydrogen atom? A hartree is equal to 27.2 of this unit.
ANSWER: electronvolt [or electron volts; or eV; reject “electron” or “volt”]
[10e] The ionization energy of hydrogen being equal to 13.6 electronvolts is determined using this Danish physicist’s model of the atom, which puts electrons in discrete orbitals.
ANSWER: Niels Bohr
[10h] The hydrogen atom’s radial eigenfunctions are this set of orthogonal polynomials named for a Frenchman. They are solutions of the equation [read slowly] “x times y-double-prime, plus one-minus-x times y-prime, plus ny equals zero.”
ANSWER: Laguerre polynomials
<Physics>

Back to bonuses

Summary

Data

Indiana AUChicago A10101030
UIUC CMiami1010020
Purdue ANorthwestern A1010020
Notre DameWashU C1010020
UChicago DPurdue B1010020
Indiana BSIUE A010010
UIUC AUIUC B10101030
UChicago CUIUC D10101030
WashU DUChicago B010010