D.

Jim Livingston
Asst. Professor
Department of Chemistry
St. John’s College.
 Nucleus

Electron

Orbit

Energy Levels
 According to classical physics, light
should be emitted as the electron
circles the nucleus. A loss of energy
would cause the electron to be drawn
closer to the nucleus and eventually
spiral into it.

Hill, Petrucci, General Chemistry An Integrated Approach 2nd Edition, page 294
 Postulates of the Bohr Atomic Model
Electrons revolve around the nucleus in a fixed circular path termed “orbits” or
“shells” or “energy level.”
Every orbit - certain amount of fixed energy.

Electrons will not loss or gain energy as long as they continue to revolve around the
nucleus in the fixed orbit
 Postulates of the Bohr Atomic Model

Different energy levels are denoted by n=1 or n=2 or n=3 or K, L, M, N….. Shells
and so on. These are called as quantum numbers.

The electrons move from higer to lower energy level by releasing required energy.

However, when an electron gains energy it moves from lower to higher energy level.
 Increasing energy
n=3 of orbits

e- n=2 e-

n=1 e-
e-
e-
e- e
-
e-

e-
e-
e-
A photon is emitted
with energy E = hf

The revolving electrons can emit energy, only

when it jumps from higher to lower energy level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chemistry
 Distribution of Electrons in Orbits or Shells:

Electronic distribution = 2n2.

Here, ‘n’ denotes the number of orbits.

Electrons in L shell (2nd orbit)= 2 x 22 = 8.

Electrons in N Shell : 2 x 42 = 32

Electrons in M shell 2 x 32 = 18

Electrons in K shell: 2 x 12 = 2
Failure to explain Zeeman Effect

It contradicts Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.

Unable to explain how to determine the spectra of larger atoms.