Rutherford, Planck and

Bohr
Topics
• Subatomic particles
• Atomic mass and Atomic weight
• Atomic models
• Quantum mechanic model of atom
Basics
• Electromagnetic radiation
Rutherford
• Provided experimental evidence that atom has dense, +vely charged
nucleus accounting only for a small portion of atom’s volume
Max Planck
• Developed 1st quantum theory
• Energy emitted as EMR from matter comes in discrete bundles called
quanta
• Energy of quantum is given by planck relation

• h = planck’s constant 6.626 x 10^-34 Js

• f = frequency of the radiation
Bohr Model
• Based on the works of Rutherford and Planck
• Developed a model of electronic structure of H atom
• Based on Rutherford model
• Assumed that H atom has a central proton around which electron travelled in
circular orbit
• Proposed that centripetal force acting on electron was created by
electrostatic force b/w proton and electron
Departure from classical mechanics
• Based on Planck’s quantum theory
• Corrected some assumptions about pathways of electrons
• Classical mechanics
• Object revolving in a circle may assume infinite no of values for its radius and
velocity
• So angular momentum (L) and K.E can take any value
• Using planck’s model he placed restrictions on possible values of L
• Predicted possible values for L of an electron orbiting H nucleus as -
Angular momentum

• n = principal quantum no (+ve integer)

• Thus L of electron changes only in discrete amounts wrt n
• Bohr related these permitted L values to energy of electron
Energy of electron

• RH = experimentally determined Rydberg unit of energy

= 2.18 x 10 ^-18 J / electron
• So even energy of electron changes in discrete amounts wrt n
• Zero energy
• State in which proton and electron are separated completely
• i.e. no attractive force between them
• Therefore electron in any quantized state of an atom will have an attractive force
toward proton (so represented by –ve sign)
Energy variations
• Energy of an electron increases (becomes less –ve) with distance from
nucleus (i.e. with increasing n)
• Magnitude of fraction gets smaller (but actual value is increased)
• So energy is directly proportional to n
Bohr’s model final outcomes
• Described the structure of H atom as a nucleus with 1 proton forming a
dense core around which a single electron revolves in a defined orbit at a
discrete energy value
• If we transfer an energy exactly equal to that of a difference between one
orbit & another
• Electron will jump from one orbit to a higher energy orbit
• Bohr likened his model of H atom to planets orbiting sun
• Nobel-prize winning model
• Remained as an important conceptualization of atomic behavior for over 2 decades
• We now know that electrons are not restricted to specific pathways but tend
to be localized in certain regions of space
Different states of atoms
• Orbit with smallest (lowest energy) radius is called ground state (n=1)
• i.e. all electrons are in lowest possible orbitals
• When an electron is supplied some energy to transfer it to higher
orbit then this is said to be in excited state
• When atleast one electron in an atom moves to a subshell higher than
normal energy then atom is in excited state
• In general all tend toward minimal energy
• Hence atoms of any element will exist in ground state unless subjected to
extremely high T or irradiation
Electrons from lower energy level to higher
energy level
• They get AHED
• Absorb light
• Higher potential
• Excited
• Distant (from nucleus)
Applications of Bohr’s model
• Bohr’s model can be applied for all one-electron systems
• H, He+, Li+2
• Used to explain atomic emission and absorption spectra of atoms
Atomic emission spectra
• Atoms from ground state can be excited by
heat or other energy forms
• Lifetime of an excited state is short
• So electrons rapidly return to ground states
• Result in emission of discrete amounts of
energy (in the form of photons)
Electromagnetic energy of photons

• Since
• h = planck’s constant
• c = speed of light ( 3 x 10^8 m/s)
• Lambda = wavelength of radiation
Emission spectra
• Returning electrons from excited states emit photons with a
wavelength characteristic of the specific energy transition it
undergoes.
• These energy transitions do not form a continuum, but rather are
quantized to certain values
• Hence spectrum is composed of light at specified frequencies
• Sometimes it is a line spectrum, where each line on the emission spectrum
corresponds to a specific electron transition
Application of emission spectroscopy
• Each element has its electrons excited to a different set of distinct
energy levels, so each possess a unique atomic emission spectrum,
which can be used as a fingerprint for the element
• analysis of stars and planets
• while a physical sample may be impossible to procure, the light from a star
can be resolved into its component wavelengths, which are then matched to
the known line spectra of the elements
• Fluorescence
• Emission from electrons dropping to ground states from excited states
Various series from Bohr’s model of
hydrogen atom
• Bohr’s model explained the atomic emission spectrum of hydrogen
• Simplest emission spectrum among all elements
• Group of hydrogen emission lines corresponding to transitions from
energy levels n >= 2 to n=1 is known as Lyman series
• Similarly group of transitions from n >= 3 to n=2 is Balmer series
• Includes 4 wavelengths in visible region
• Lyman series energy transitions > Balmer (hence lie in UV region)
• Since energy is inversely proportional to wavelength
• Paschen series – n >= 4 to n=3
Bohr’s + Planck’s
• Thus based on both models we can say that
• Energy associated with change in n from higher initial value to lower final value = Energy of photon
predicted by planck’s quantum theory

• Thus energy of emitted photon corresponds to difference in energy between higher-

energy initial state and lower-energy final state
• Here if E = +ve, it means emission
E = -ve, it means absorption
Atomic absorption spectra
• If an electron is excited to higher energy level
• It means it must have absorbed exactly right amount of energy to make that
transition
• Thus exciting electrons results in energy absorption at specific
wavelengths
• So just like a unique emission spectrum, each element has a characteristic
absorption spectrum
• Wavelengths of this correspond exactly to that of emission (bcoz difference of
energy between levels is unchanged)
• Application
• Identification of elements in gas phase requires absorption spectra
How does any compound has any color?
• Absorption is the basis for color of compounds
• What we see as color of any compound is the color of the light that is
not absorbed by the compound
Assignment