- Rutherford proposed that the entire positive charge and almost the whole mass of the atom are concentrated in a very small central nucleus of radius ≈ 10⁻¹⁵ m.
- Electrons revolve around the nucleus in different orbits within a hollow sphere of radius ≈ 10⁻¹⁰ m, and the atom is electrically neutral.
- The necessary centripetal force for revolving electrons is provided by the electrostatic force of attraction between the nucleus and electrons.
- According to classical electrodynamics, revolving (accelerated) electrons should continuously radiate energy, lose energy, and fall into the nucleus, so the atom would be unstable.
- The model could not account for the line spectra of atoms, as it predicts continuous radiation rather than discrete spectral lines.
Definitions [8]
Definition: Atomic Mass Number
The total number of protons and neutrons is equal to the integral value of the atomic mass and is called the 'atomic mass number'.
Definition: Atomic Number
The number of protons is called the 'atomic number'.
Definition: Excitation Potential
The minimum accelerating potential required to energise an electron which, on collision, can excite an atom is called the 'excitation potential' of that atom.
Definition: Ionisation Potential
The minimum accelerating potential required to energise an electron which can ionise an atom is called the 'ionisation potential' of that atom.
Definition: Transition
The shifting of the atom from one energy state to another is called 'transition'.
Definition: Excitation Energy
Energy required to move an electron from ground state of the atom to any other excited state of the atom is called excitation energy of that state.
Definition: lonisation Energy
Minimum energy required to move an electron from ground state to n = o or to knock a ground state electron completely out of the atom.
Definition: Nucleons
The nucleus has protons and neutrons. The nuclear particles (protons and neutrons) are also called ‘nucleons'.
Formulae [9]
Formula: Rydberg Formula for Wavelength
\[\frac{1}{\lambda}=R\left(\frac{1}{2^2}-\frac{1}{n^2}\right)\]
Formula: Radii of the Permitted Orbits
r = \[n^2\frac{h^2\varepsilon_0}{\pi mZe^2}\]
Z = 1
r = \[=n^2\frac{h^2\varepsilon_0}{\pi me^2}\]
Formula: Bohr's Radius
\[r_n=(0.53)\frac{n^2}{Z}\mathrm{{Å}}\]
for hydrogen atom radius of nth orbit
\[r_n=(0.53)n^2\mathrm{{Å}}\]
Formula: Velocity of Electron in Stationary Orbits
v = \[\frac{Ze^2}{2h\varepsilon_0}\frac{1}{n}\]
Fine structure constant
\[v=\frac{1}{137}\left(\frac{cZ}{n}\right)\]
Formula: Bohr's Formula for Hydrogen
\[\frac{1}{\lambda}=Z^{2}R\left(\frac{1}{n_{1}^{2}}-\frac{1}{n_{2}^{2}}\right)\]
Z = 1
\[\frac{1}{\lambda}=R\left(\frac{1}{n_1^2}-\frac{1}{n_2^2}\right)\]
Formula: Energy of Electron in Stationary Orbits
\[E=-\frac{mZ^{2}e^{4}}{8\varepsilon_{0}^{2}h^{2}}\left(\frac{1}{n^{2}}\right)\]
Formula: Wavelength of the Emitted Radiation
\[\frac{1}{\lambda}=\frac{v}{c}=\frac{mZ^{2}e^{4}}{8\varepsilon_{0}^{2}ch^{3}}\left(\frac{1}{n_{1}^{2}}-\frac{1}{n_{2}^{2}}\right)\]
\[\frac{me^4}{8\varepsilon_0^2ch^3}=R\] = Rydberg's constant
Formula: Energy–Wavelength Relation
\[\lambda=\frac{12375^*}{\Delta E\mathrm{~in~eV}}\mathrm{\r{A}}=\left[\frac{1237.5}{\Delta E\mathrm{~(in~eV)}}\right]\mathrm{nm}\]
Formula: Distance of Closest Approach of α-Particle
K = \[\frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\frac{2Ze^2}{r_0}\]
or
\[r_0=\frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\frac{2Ze^2}{K}\]
Key Points
Key Points: Hydrogen Spectrum
- The hydrogen spectrum consists of bright discrete lines arranged in series such as the Lyman, Balmer, Paschen, Brackett, and Pfund series.
- Balmer gave the formula for visible lines:
\[\frac{1}{\lambda}=R\left(\frac{1}{2^2}-\frac{1}{n^2}\right)\]
where R is the Rydberg constant. - According to Bohr’s theory, electrons emit radiation when they move from a higher energy level to a lower level.
- The general formula for the hydrogen spectrum is
\[\frac{1}{\lambda}=R\left(\frac{1}{n_1^2}-\frac{1}{n_2^2}\right)\]
with n2 > n1. - The Lyman series lies in the ultraviolet, the Balmer series in the visible, and the Paschen, Brackett, and Pfund series in the infrared.
- The shortest wavelength of a series (when n2 = ∞) is called the series limit.
- In the emission spectrum, all series are observed, but in absorption at ordinary temperatures, the Lyman series is predominant because most atoms are in the ground state.
Key Points: Rutherford's Model of Atom
Key Points: Bohr's Atomic Model
- In Bohr’s model, the positive charge is concentrated at the centre, and electrons revolve around the nucleus in certain permitted circular orbits called stationary orbits.
- The angular momentum of an electron in a stationary orbit is quantised and given by
mvr = \[\frac {nh}{2π}\]where n = 1,2,3,... is the principal quantum number. - Electrons in stationary orbits do not radiate energy despite being accelerated; hence, the atom remains stable.
- When an atom absorbs energy, an electron moves to a higher orbit (excited state) and stays there for a very short time (~10⁻⁸ s).
- When the electron returns to a lower orbit, it emits radiation of frequency
hν = E2 − E1which is called Bohr’s frequency condition.
Key Points: Rutherford's Atomic Model
- In the α-particle scattering experiment, most α-particles passed straight through the thin gold foil, but a very small number were deflected through large angles, even up to 180°.
- The undeflected particles indicate that the atom is mostly empty space rather than a solid sphere as previously assumed.
- The large-angle deflections proved that the positive charge and most of the mass of the atom are concentrated in a very small central region called the nucleus.
- The nucleus is extremely small (≈10⁻¹⁴ m) compared to the atom (≈10⁻¹⁰ m), so only a few α-particles come close enough to be strongly repelled.
- The scattering follows Coulomb’s law, and the positive charge on the nucleus is equal to Ze, where Z is the atomic number.
Key Points: Limitations of Bohr's Theory
