LESSON 2: BOHR

ATOMIC
THEORIES

Unit #1 – Structure & Properties

Textbook Reference: 3.2-3.3
BLACKBODY RADIATION

• Max Plank studied Blackbody radiation.

• Blackbody: is a perfect black object that does not
reflect any light but emits light if you increase its
temperature.
• All objects emit some type of light when heated up.
• When heated, the molecules comprising a perfect
blackbody vibrate and emit light of the same
wavelength as their vibration
• When objects are heated up they emit red light. Ex.
A metal coil stove top.
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM
• Classical Theory -- Scientists
believed that light is not a particle
but a type of energy wave →
electromagnetic wave
• All electromatic waves travel at the
same speed c= 3x108 m/s (nothing
in this universe can travel faster than
this according to Einstein’s theory of
relativity)
• Waves can be differentiated by
examining their wavelengths and
frequency
• These waves are produced from
magnetism & electricity.
VARIABLES & FORMULA
• frequency (f) - the number of cycles per time
(second)
• wavelength (λ) - the length of a wave
• Amplitude – height of a wave from rest to crest
• wave equation: f x λ = c

*inverse relationship exists between frequency and wavelength

 PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
• Defined as the ejection of electrons from the surface of a metal when light shines on it.
• The electrons produced in this way are called photoelectrons.
• The problem? The assumption?
• The higher the brightness (intensity) of the incident light, the greater the energy of electrons that
are emitted from the surface.
Light Intensity
QUANTUM THEORY
• Photoelectric Effect → light energy can give electrons enough energy to leave a
substance
• Classical Theory predicted that the more intense (brighter) the light (means more
energy waves) the more electrons would have more energy to leave a substance
CLASSICAL THEORY WAS WRONG!
• A more intense light did not change the amount of liberated electrons.
• Max Plank proposed that light traveled as a quantum of energy waves → photons

• The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy of the wave.
• Plank Equation: E = hf (energy of a photon) h = 6.63 x 10-34
• There is a minimum amount of energy needed (certain wavelength) to give enough electrons energy to leave a
substance.

• Einstein won noble prize for confirming Plank’s theory.

WHY DOES PLANCK’S
EQUATION RELATE TO LINE
SPECTRA?
• Line spectra (as you will see in the
following slides) allows us to take a
look at the inside of the atom
• Atoms emit photons of certain
energies which creates lines of
certain frequencies (as you will see)
• Electrons can only occupy certain orbits
• Energy levels can be thought of as a staircase

• Line spectrum is evidence for

quantization
ATOMIC White light is made up of
all the colors mixed in
SPECTRA
There are three types of
atomic spectra
• Continuous spectrum
• Emission Spectra (Bright Line
Spectra)
• Absorption Spectra (darkline
spectra)
CONTINUOUS SPECTRUM

• A prism can be used to split white light into all its colors
• How?
White light -----> prism/spectrophotometer -----> visible spectrum
 EMISSION SPECTRUM (BRIGHT LINE SPECTRA)
• Each element when heated, emits only certain wavelengths of light
• How?
Heated element -----> prism/spectrophotometer -----> emission spectrum
Example – Hydrogen gas → when high voltage is applied to the gas, an emission spectrum is produced
 ABSORPTION SPECTRUM (DARKLINE SPECTRA)
• Each element can absorb certain wavelengths of light
• This is done when a cold element gas is put in front of white light
• How?
White light -----> cold element -----> prism/spectrophotometer ----->
absorption spectrum
Example – Hydrogen cold gas
BOHR MODEL OF THE ATOM & LINE SPECTRUM
• From absorption spectra and bright line spectra for the
same element, Bohr concluded that an atom of an element
can only absorb and emit certain wavelengths of energy.
• The electrons in an atom tend to be arranged in such a
way that the energy of the atom is as low as possible.
• Bohr 1st Postulate: electrons do not emit energy but they
orbit the nucleus with constant energy called stationary
state.
• Bohr 2nd Postulate: each orbit around the nucleus is an
energy level. The farther away the orbit, the higher the
energy level. Electrons can absorb energy waves and jump
to a higher energy orbital. → Excited state
When an electron in excited state jumps back down to its normal orbital, it releases a
photon of a certain wavelength.
BALMER SERIES
Balmer calculated the amount of photon energy released when electrons jumped back to a certain ground state for
hydrogen.
• Remember: Each colour is a electromagnetic wave of a certain length and energy.
Balmer Series (400nm - 750nm)
• Violet → 6th shell to 2nd shell (400 nm)

• Blue → 5th shell to 2nd shell

• Blue-green → 4th shell to 2nd shell

• Red → 3rd shell to 2nd shell (750nm)

• Lyman Series
• 6th , 5th , 4th , 3rd, 2nd to 1st shell UV light

• Paschen Series
• 6th, 5th, 4th to 3rd shell Infrared light
 EACH SUBSTANCE HAS A CERTAIN QUANTUM OF
ENERGY TO LIBERATE (RELEASE)
• The difference in energy between the orbits is the same as the
energy of light emitted when an electron moves from a higher
to a lower orbit.
• As ∆E = Efinal ‐ Einital (E = Ehigher shell – Elower shell )
then
• ∆E = ‐ RH (1/nf2 ‐ 1/ni2)
where RH = Rydberg constant = 2.18 x 10-18 J

For further reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au2HCVn9IJI&ab_channel=ProfessorDaveExplains
EXAMPLES

• Ex 1. An electron jumps from the 6th shell to a lower shell. Calculate the frequency of the quantum released if a
violet colour was observed. What spectral series of light emitted does this belong to?
EXAMPLES

• Ex 1. An electron jumps from the 6th shell to a lower shell. Calculate the frequency of the quantum released if a
violet colour was observed. What spectral series of light emitted does this belong to?
EXAMPLES

• #2. An electron jumped from the 4th energy level to a lower energy level. If bluegreen light was emitted,
calculate the wavelength of the light emitted by the atom.