Coulomb law, equation

Electrostatics is the study of interactions between charged objects. Electrostatics alone will not described molecular systems, but it is very important to the understanding of interactions of electrons, which is described by a wave function or electron density. The central pillar of electrostatics is Coulombs law, which is the mathematical description of how like charges repel and unlike charges attract. The Coulombs law equations for energy and the force of interaction between two particles with charges q and q2 at a distance rn are... 

Using Coulombs law [Equation (4.3)], briefly explain why we say that energy is released when a proton and an electron, starting an infinite distance from each other, are brought together to form a hydrogen atom. 

The first term on the right-hand side of Equation 3.34 is obviously the contribution from the reference ion itself (according to the Coulomb law, Equation 3.2). As a result, the second term must be the contribution of all ions outside the reference ion. Hence, the second term is identified as fhe electric potential if cloud from the ion cloud acting on the reference ion. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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