Explain the Rutherford atomic model and its limitation.
Explain the Rutherford atomic model and its limitation.
As the planets revolves around the Sun, Rutherford suggested in the proposed atomic model, that nucleus at the centre and the electrons orbiting it around the nucleus.
Thus the basic difference between the two is that the planets in the system of Sun are captured by gravitational force while the nucleus electron intersects according Coulomb law in a atom.
The limitation of the Rutherford atomic model : According to classical physics, there is no constraint on the radius of the orbit of electron.
Electron moving in a circular orbit performs an acceleration motion.
According to classical electromagnetic theory an accelerated charge radiates energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation hence its energy goes on decreasing.
Hence, its orbit would not be circular, it will be spiral terminating at its nucleus which is shown in the figure.
Thus, such an atom cannot be stable.
Further, according to the classical electromagnetic theory, the frequency of the electromagnetic wave emitted by the revolving electrons is equal to the frequency of revolution.
As the electrons spiral inwards, their angular velocities and hence their frequencies would change continuously and so will the frequency of the light emitted. Thus, they would emit a continuous spectrum in contradiction to the line spectrum actually observed.
Hence, Rutherford's atomic model states that classical ideas are not sufficient to explain the atomic structure. Because, this model fails to understand the stability of atom.
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