rydberg confusion

[nonzerosum]

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looking at the eqn here
http://www.equationsheet.com/eqninfo/Equation-411.html

I saw that energy inversely proportional to principal quantum number but that doesn't make sense a greater n has more energy??

and why is there a negative sign there? Is this value of energy like gibbs free energy where the more negative it is the more energy is there? or is it that the less negative it is the more energy it has? if so why is the number negative what is it relative to?


Thanks for your help

 

[crazybob]

you reach an energy of zero at an infinite principal quantum number. the energy increases, since it become less negative as the principal quantum number increases.

if you look at a molecular potential energy diagram, you start at the lowest point in the curve, where the lowest energy at a principal quantum number of 1 occurs (usually). as you go up and farther down the curve, you see that it has a horizontal asymptote where the energy reaches zero. after you start from the minimum energy, you increase in energy as the principal quantum number increases.

 

[nonzerosum]

Thanks!