Senior Secondary Course

Learner‘s Guide, Physics (312)

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STRUCTURE OF ATOM

Rutherford’s Experiment on particles was bombarded on a thin

Scattering of α-Particles gold foil

 Rutherford’s scattering experiment Nuclear Model of Atom

indicated the presence of small
 The entire charge and most of the mass of
central region inside the atom where
the atom is confined in a very small (~10 -
all the positive charge and most of 15
m) central region, called the nucleus.
the mass of the atom is concentrated.
 The negatively charged electrons revolve
 The region was named as the
at a distance around it such that the atom
nucleus. Electrons revolve around
as a whole is electrically neutral and
the nucleus and total negative charge
stable.
is equal to the total positive charge
of the nucleus.
 Rutherford’s model of atom could
not explain satisfactorily the
observed stability of the atom and
the electromagnetic radiation emitted
by the atoms.

Stability of the atom

 Electrons are negatively charged.
 These are attracted by the nucleus and get
accelerated.
 Geiger and Marsden performed an  An accelerated charged particle, according
experiment in which a beam of α- to classical wave theory, emits

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Learner‘s Guide, Physics (312)

electromagnetic radiations. Hence, the are called stationary states. Note that
revolving electrons should lose energy an electron can move in a stationary
eventually and spiral into the nucleus state but its energy is constant.
 Energy is emitted by an atom only
Frequency of electromagnetic radiation
when its electron “falls” from an
The electron spiralling towards the nucleus allowed higher energy level Ef to
will emit electromagnetic radiations of all another allowed lower level Ei . The
frequencies giving rise to a continuous change in energy is the energy of the
spectrum. But experiments show that atoms emitted photon.
emit radiations of certain well defined  An electron only absorbs radiation
frequencies only. when it “jumps” to a higher energy
level from a lower energy level. The
Bohr’s Model of Hydrogen Atom change in energy of an electron can
be related to the frequency or
 Electrons in an atom move in
wavelength of the emitted or
circular orbits around the nucleus
absorbed photon:
with the centripetal force supplied by
the Coulomb force of attraction Energy Levels
between the electron and the nucleus.
Mathematically,
𝑚𝑣 1 𝑍𝑒
=
𝑟 4𝜋𝜖 𝑟
where Z denotes the number of
positive charges in the nucleus.
 If the infinite number of possible
circular orbits, only those orbits are the radius of its inner most orbit is called
allowed for which the value of Bohr radius. It is denoted by a0 and its
orbital angular momentum of the magnitude is 5.3 × 10– 11m.
electron is an integral multiple of
Expression for the speed of the electron in
h/2π :
the nth orbit
|𝐿 |= mvr =
where L is the orbital angular
momentum, equal to mvr for a
circular orbit. Here h is Planck’s
constant and n is an integer.
 An electron moving in an allowed
orbit does not radiate any energy. In
these allowed orbits, the energy of Potential energy
the electron is constant. These orbits
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= 2, 3, 4...). The frequencies of

various spectral lines of this series
are given by

Total energy

Balmer series

It was discovered in 1885 in the visible

region. According to Bohr, this series
arises,
R is Rydberg constant
 When electron jumps to the second
 Energy of an electron in various
orbit (m = 2) from higher orbits (n =
allowed orbits is inversely
3, 4, 5...). The frequencies of various
proportional to the square of the
spectral lines of the series are given
number of orbit; and
by
 The energy in an orbit is negative,
which implies that the electron is
bound to the nucleus.

HYDROGEN SPECTRUM Paschen series

Lyman series It was discovered in 1908 in the near infra-

red region.
It was discovered by Lymen in 1906.
According to Bohr, this series arises  The existence of this series can be
explained by assuming that electrons
 When an electron jumps to the first
jump to third orbit (m = 3) from
orbit (m = 1) from an higher orbit (n
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Learner‘s Guide, Physics (312)

higher orbits (n = 4, 5, 6...). The

frequencies of various spectral lines
in the region are given by

Brackett series

It was discovered in mid infra-red region. In

this series,

 Electrons jump to fourth orbit (n =

4) from higher orbits (n = 5, 6...).
Therefore, the frequencies of various
X–RAYS
spectral lines in the region are given
by

Pfund series

It was discovered in far infra-red region.

According to Bohr, this series is obtained
X–rays are produced when fast moving
when
electrons are suddenly stopped by a heavy metal
 Electron jumps to fifth orbit (n1 = 5) in a glass tube having extremely low pressure.
from any higher orbit (n = 6, 7,...).
The electrons emitted by the hot filament are
The frequencies of various spectral
focused on the target which is made up of metal
lines of the series are given by
of high melting point and high atomic number

Properties of X–rays

X–rays show the following properties:

(i) They affect the photographic plate

(ii) They cause fluorescence in certain
chemical compounds.
(iii) They ionize the gases
(iv) They show no reflection in mirrors,
no refraction in glass, no diffraction
with the conventional gratings but
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when refined techniques are used elements but at slightly differing

with atomic layers of crystals, they wavelengths Each characteristic line
show all these familiar phenomena obeyed a specific equation. For
of light. example, K2 lines obey the
(v) They do not get deviated by following relation
electric or magnetic field.

X– Rays Spectra:

 The element whose X–ray spectra is

studied is placed at the place of Check Yourself
target of the X–rays tube.
 The X–ray wavelengths are
determined by the Bragg’s
spectrometer.
1. The size of the atom is approximately
 The intensity of X–rays increases at equal to
all wavelengths as the voltage across A. 10-4 cm to 10-8 m
the tube is increased. B. 10-6 cm to 10-8 m
 The shortest wavelength λmin emitted C. 10-8 cm to 10-10 m
is sharply defined and it depends on D. 10-12 cm to 10-14 m
the voltage applied.
2. Rutherford in his experiment
 As the voltage is increased, the
wavelength at which the maximum
bombarded thin metallic foils by
emission occurs shifts towards the A. Electron
shortest wavelength side B. α-Particles
 Continuous X–rays are produced C. proton
when the kinetic energy of the D. neutron
incident electrons is transformed 3. According to Bohr’s model of
into electromagnetic radiation upon
Hydrogen atom
collision with atoms. Before being
stopped, electrons make several A. The angular momentum of
collisions and produce photons of all the electron is quantized
frequencies B. The angular velocity of the
electron is quantized
Mosley’s law
C. The linear momentum of
Mosley investigated the characteristic X– the electron is quantized
rays of a large number of elements.
D. The linear velocity of the
 some specific characteristic lines electron is quantized
appeared in the spectra of all
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4. The Lithium atom has 3 electron. 5. How are continuous x-rays

The third electron will bein produced? What is the condition for
the production of photons of highest
A. L-shell
frequency?
B. K -shell
C. M -shell
Hint to Check Yourself
D. N –shell
5. A Hydrogen atom is in p-state.For
1C 2 B 3 A 4 A 5 B
this value of Jare
A. 5/2,3/2,1/2
B. 3/2,1/2
C. -1/2,+1/2,3/2
D. -1/3,-3/2

Stretch Yourself

1. The Rydberg constant for hydrogen

is 1096700 m–1. Calculate the short
and long wavelength limits of
Lyman series.
2. In Rutherford’s α-particle scattering
experiment, what observation led
him to predict the existance of
nucleus?
3. State the postulates of Bohr’s model
of atom.
4. The energy transition in H-atom
occurs from n = 3 to n = 2 energy
level. Given R = 1.097 × 107 m–1.
(i) What is the wavelength of the
emitted radiations? (ii) Will this
radiation lie in the range of visible
light? (iii) To which spectral series
does this transition belong?

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