Question

Write two important limitations of Rutherford's nuclear model of the atom.

Write the limitations of Rutherford's model of the atom.

Answer 1

Important limitations of Rutherford's nuclear model of the atom are:

1. It could not explain why atoms emit light of only discrete wavelengths. for example, could a simple atom like hydrogen, consisting of a single electron and a single proton, emit a complex spectrum of specific wavelengths.
2. He did not say anything about the arrangement of an electron in an atom.
3. According to Maxwell, accelerated charged particles emit electromagnetic radiation and hence an electron revolving around the nucleus should emit electromagnetic radiation. This radiation would carry energy from the motion of the electron which would come at the cost of shrinking of orbits. Ultimately the electrons would collapse in the nucleus. This was a major limitation regarding the stability of an atom.