In the quantum mechanical treatment of the hydrogen atom, the functions and 2 both feature prominently. Briefly explain (in principle) how they are obtained and what, if anything, their physical meanings are.
Solution: The wave function, is a solution to the Schrodinger equation. It describes a wave, but has no physical meaning of its own. The square of the wave function, 2, represents the probability of finding the electron at any point in the atom.