Chapter Four

Atomic Structure
Contents
 Introduction
 Atomic spectra
 The Bohr atomic model
 Energy levels and spectra
 Atomic excitation
 The laser
 Specific objectives
At the end of this session you are able to
 Define atom and its structure
 Differentiate Rutherford, Bohr and Quantum atomic
model.
 Introduction
An atom is not the smallest particle of matter, but it is
the smallest type of unique matter.
Every atom consists of a small nucleus of protons and
neutrons with a number of electrons some distance away.
 i.e. All atoms are made up of subatomic particles which
are identical in all atoms.
The number of protons in an atom determines the
identity and to a large extent the chemical properties of
an atom and it is known as the Atomic number.
Cont.
Cont.

Protons and neutrons vibrate, but are basically

motionless.
 Electrons are located relatively far from the
nucleus in energy levels where they move randomly
at very high speeds creating shells. Then the
electrons form an electron cloud.
Electron Orbits
 Rutherford's model of an atom, so convincingly confirmed
by an experiment, pictures as a tiny, massive, positively
charged nucleus surrounded at a relatively great distance by
enough electrons to render the atom electrically neutral as a
whole.
 The electrons can’t be stationary in this model, because
there is nothing that can keep them in place against the
electric force pulling them to the nucleus.
 If the electrons are in motion, however, dynamically stable
orbits like those of the planets around the sun are possible.
 Cont.’

Figure 2. Force balance in hydrogen atom

 Centripetal force is given by

mv2
F=
𝑟
 And the force holding the electron in an orbit r from the
nucleus
is provided by the electric force
e2
Fe = k 2
r
1
Where k =
4πℇo
 Cont.

 Substituting the value of V, the total energy of electron is given by:

e2
En= −
8πℇor
Cont.
 The total energy of the electron is negative, which indicates
the fact that it’s bound to the nucleus.
 If E were greater than zero, an electron would not follow a
closed orbit around the nucleus.
 This energy E is not a property of electron alone but is a
property of the system (electron + nucleus).
 Experiments found that 13.6 electron volt of energy is
required to separate hydrogen atom in electron and proton.

 Exercise 1: Compute the orbital radius and the velocity of the

electron in a hydrogen atom?
 The Bohr Model
 The electron in a hydrogen atom travels around the nucleus
in a circular orbit.
 The energy of the electron in an orbit is proportional to its
distance from the nucleus. The further the electron is from
the nucleus, the more energy it has.
 Only a limited number of orbits with certain energies are
allowed. In other words the orbits are quantized.
 By examining the wave behavior of an electron in orbit
around a hydrogen nucleus, since the electron velocity are
much smaller than c, we will assume that γ=1, then

h
λ=
mv
 Cont.
 Then, the orbital electron wave length become

h 4𝜋ε𝑜𝑟
λ=
e 𝑚

 Exercise 2: calculate the orbital electron wavelength of

hydrogen atom, when orbital radius of the atom is obtained
in exercise 1??

𝟐𝝅𝐫 = 𝟑𝟑 ∗ 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟏 𝐦
Cont.
To see the condition that an electron orbit contain an integral
number of de Broglie wavelength. The circumference of a
circular orbit of radius r is 𝟐𝝅𝐫, and so the condition for
orbit stability is
 𝐧𝛌 = 𝟐𝛑𝐫𝐧, where n=1,2,…
Where 𝐫𝐧 implies the radius of the orbit that contain n
wavelengths. The integer n is called the quantum number of
the orbit.
Substituting for λ, orbital radii in Bohr atom is given by:

𝐧𝟐 𝐡𝟐 εo
rn =
𝛑𝐦𝐞𝟐
Cont.
 An electron can circle a nucleus only if its orbit
contains an integral number of de Broglie wavelength.

𝐧λ = 𝟐𝝅𝐫𝐧, where n=1,2,…

Cont.

r1= a0 = Bohr radius of hydrogen atom

=5.292 ∗ 10−11 m
Generally, rn= 𝐧𝟐 a0 , n=?(quantum no of H atom)

 The energy of any orbit is

R
E  H
n 2
n
R H  13.6 eV
Cont.

The radius of the innermost orbit is called the Bohr radius of

the hydrogen atom and is denoted by a0

r1= a0 = Bohr radius of hydrogen atom

= 5.292 ∗ 10−11 m
 Postulates of Bohr atomic model
Only orbits of certain radii are allowed. These radii
corresponds to specific energies. i.e. Electrons moves
in circular orbits around the nucleus
An electron in a permitted orbit has this specific
energy, an “allowed” energy state. Electrons will not
radiate energy, into a state that is not allowed, so will
not spiral into the nucleus. Energy of electron is
quantized.
Energy is only emitted or absorbed by an electron as it
moves from one allowed state to another. This energy
is emitted or absorbed as a photon, E=hf.
Exercise: Group task
1. State the deficiencies of the Bohr atomic model??

2. Compare Bohr atomic model with Quantum theory?

3. Discuss difficulties of Rutherford's atomic model?

Energy Levels: Energy is emitted when an electron jumps
form one energy level to a lower level.
 The lowest energy state is called The energy level diagram
the ground state.
This corresponds to n = 1
and energy E1 = –13.6 eV
 E1 = –13.6 eV?? How??
 The next energy level:
n = 2 has energy E2 = –3.40 eV

ground state
Cont.
 The ionization energy is the energy needed to completely remove
the electron from the atom.
 The ionization energy for hydrogen is 13.6 eV
 The uppermost level corresponds to E = 0 and n  
 The value of RH from Bohr’s analysis is in excellent agreement
with experiment
1  1 1 
 RH  2  2 
 n n 
 f i 

 Energy depends only on the principal quantum number, n

RH
En   2
n
Cont.
• Reading Assignment
1. Zeeman effect
2. Laser light
Thanks !