Name: Bohr Atom Model: Frequency of Emitted Radiation
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 3 min 54 s
Description: Electrons jump in different energy levels. Let's understand how we can calculate the frequency of emitted and absorbed radiation as electrons transition into...

Question

Describe Rutherford atom model. What are the drawbacks of this model?

Accepted Answer

In $1911$ , Rutherford conducted an experiment in which he bombarded alpha particles on a thin gold foil. In that experiment, he observed that:

(i) Most of the alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil.

(ii) Very few particles scattered by more than $1 °$ .

(iii) About $1$ in $8000$ particles deflected by more than $90 °$ .

Based on these observations, he came up with a new model of atom. According to his model of the atom:

(i) Most of the atom was empty space with its entire positive charge concentrated in a very small space inside the atom. This space was called the nucleus.

(ii) The size of the nucleus is very small as compared to the size of the atom.

(iii) The nucleus is surrounded by negatively charged particles called electrons. The negative charge of electrons is equal to the positive charge of the nucleus. Therefore, an atom is electrically neutral.

(iv) Electrons revolve around the nucleus in circular orbits.

Drawbacks of Rutherford's model of atom:

(i) According to Rutherford's model of atom, electrons revolve around the nucleus in a circular path and are constantly under centripetal force. As a result, the electrons must undergo acceleration. Charged particles undergoing acceleration radiates energy, thus, electrons loses energy continuously and eventually falls into the nucleus. Thus, it failed to explain the stability of the atom.

(ii) According to Rutherford's model, the atoms should emit continuous spectrum instead of line spectrum. Thus, it failed to explain the existence of spectral lines in the hydrogen spectrum.

Describe Rutherford atom model. What are the drawbacks of this model?

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