In 1913, Danish physicist Niels Bohr proposed a model of the atom in which electrons were orbiting around the nucleus. In this model, an electron can only make certain transitions between orbits, and what happens when an electron makes a transition is important for understanding how atoms work.
The Bohr model can be used to explain the orbits of electrons around an atom. Atoms are made up of many tiny particles called electrons. Each atom has a certain number of protons and neutrons, which are positively charged particles. Protons and neutrons are held together by the strong force. They are all held in orbit around a much smaller, neutral particle called the nucleus. The nucleus holds all the protons and neutrons together, and is the location of all the atoms’ positive charge. This explains why the atom has a positive charge.
Bohr’s model describes each atom with a model of circular orbits for its electrons. The model shows that electrons in an atom move in orbits, like planets around the Sun.
The distance of each electron from the nucleus determines the electron’s energy level. Low-energy electrons move close to the nucleus, and high-energy electrons move farther away.
When an electron jumps from one orbit to another, it is given a new energy level. The process that causes electrons to jump from one orbit to another is called “transition.”
When electrons jump from one orbit to another, they give up their energy. The energy they give up is known as the “radiative” energy. When an electron gives up radiative energy, it loses its energy as light. The wavelength of the light corresponds to the distance of the electron from the nucleus.
The electron that moves from a higher energy level to a lower energy level can absorb a photon of light. The electron that absorbs the photon can jump back to the higher energy level. This absorption of a photon is called the “photoelectric effect.” The energy that the electron gives up in the photoelectric effect is known as the “work” performed by the electron.
The energy given up in the photoelectric effect is transferred to the nucleus, causing the nucleus to give up energy. This causes the electron to jump to a lower energy level. As a result, the nucleus gains energy, and the electron jumps to a higher energy level. This process repeats. In the end, all the energy in the atom comes from the photons of light that are absorbed.
When a photon of light hits the electron in the lowest energy level, the electron jumps to a higher energy level. As a result, the energy of the atom is increased. The atom becomes excited, and the energy that was previously released as light is now stored as energy of the atom.
Electrons can also lose energy while they are in the lowest energy level. When the electron loses energy, it jumps to a lower energy level. The resulting decrease in energy allows the electron to jump to a higher energy level, releasing the energy it had gained when it was in the lowest energy level.
A proton is a small, positively charged subatomic particle. Protons are positively charged particles that form the nucleus of atoms.
When the nuclei of two or more atoms come together, the nucleus of one atom will bind to the nucleus of the other atom.
What is the orbit of an electron?
The orbit of an electron is a region where it can move around the nucleus. If an electron travels from one side of the nucleus to another, it moves within this region. The more closely the electron stays to the nucleus, the larger the orbit will be.
What is the difference between a Bohr model and a quantum model?
In the Bohr model, electrons are trapped in orbits around an atom’s nucleus. The orbit size is determined by the atom’s binding energy, which is related to the atomic number. The Bohr model assumes that electrons move in circular paths with specific sizes. The electron’s energy is dependent on the size of its orbit.
The Bohr model can be thought of as a classical model of an electron’s motion in an atom. It assumes that the electron moves in a circular orbit at the same speed. The energy levels in a Bohr model are quantized, meaning the energy is only associated with certain values.
Quantum models don’t predict the electron’s energy as being quantized, but instead predict that the electron has a waveform. A quantum model can predict how electrons behave if they interact with one another.
What is the difference between the ground state and the first excited state of an atom?
The ground state of an atom is the lowest energy state of an electron cloud surrounding the nucleus. In the ground state, all electrons have the same energy. When an electron gains energy, it becomes “excited” and can no longer be in the lowest energy state. Electrons can jump to higher energy states, which are called excited states. Because the ground state and the first excited state have the same energy, it does not matter whether the electrons in the ground state or the first excited state are counted.
