The two sides of the DNA double helix are connected by pairs of bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine). Because of the geometric shape of these molecules, adenine bonds with thymine and cytosine bonds with guanine. The following figure shows the thymine-adenine bond. Each charge shown is and the distance is 0.110 .
a. Calculate the electric potential energy of the adenine-thymine bond, using the, and the combinations of molecules.
b. Compare this energy with the potential energy of the proton-electron pair in the hydrogen atom. In the hydrogen atom the electron is 0.0529 from the proton.