CHAPTER 4

Structure of the Atom

 4.1 The Atomic Models of Thomson and Rutherford

 4.2 Rutherford Scattering
 4.3 The Classic Atomic Model
 4.4 The Bohr Model of the Hydrogen Atom
 4.5 Successes and Failures of the Bohr Model
 4.6 Characteristic X-Ray Spectra and Atomic
Number
 4.7 Atomic Excitation by
In the present first partElectrons
of the paper the mechanism of the binding of
electrons by a positive nucleus is discussed in relation to Planck’s
theory. It will be shown that it is possible from the point of view taken to
account in a simple way for the law of the line spectrum of hydrogen.

- Niels Bohr, 1913

Structure of the Atom

Pieces of evidence that scientists had in 1900 to indicate that

the atom was not a fundamental unit:

1) There seemed to be too many kinds of atoms, each

belonging to a distinct chemical element.
2) Atoms and electromagnetic phenomena were intimately
related.
3) The problem of valence. Certain elements combine with
some elements but not with others, a characteristic that
hinted at an internal atomic structure.
4) The discoveries of radioactivity, of x rays, and of the
electron.
Thomson’s Atomic Model

 Thomson’s “plum-pudding” model of the atom had the positive

charges spread uniformly throughout a sphere the size of the
atom, with electrons embedded in the uniform background.

 In Thomson’s view, when the atom was heated, the electrons

could vibrate about their equilibrium positions, thus producing
electromagnetic radiation.
Experiments of Geiger and Marsden
 Rutherford, Geiger, and Marsden
conceived a new technique for
investigating the structure of matter
by scattering  particles from atoms.

 Geiger showed that many  particles

were scattered from thin gold-leaf
targets at backward angles greater
than 90°.
Example 4.1

 The maximum scattering angle corresponding to the maximum momentum

change.
 Maximum momentum change of the α particle is
or
 Determine θ by letting Δpmax be perpendicular to the direction of motion.
Multiple Scattering from Electrons
 If an α particle were scattered by many electrons and N electrons
results in .
 The number of atoms across the thin gold layer of 6 × 10−7 m:

 Assume the distance between atoms is

and there are .

That gives .
Rutherford’s Atomic Model
 even if the α particle scattered from all 79 electrons in
each atom of gold.

The experimental results were not consistent with Thomson’s

atomic model.

 Rutherford proposed that an atom has a positively charged core

(nucleus) surrounded by the negative electrons.
4.2: Rutherford Scattering
 Scattering experiments help us study matter too small to be
observed directly.
 There is a relationship between the impact parameter b and the
scattering angle θ.

When b is small,
r gets small.
Coulomb force gets large.
θ can be large and the particle can be repelled backward.
Rutherford Scattering
 Any particle inside the circle of area πb02 will be similarly scattered.

 The cross section σ = πb2 is related to the probability for a particle being
scattered by a nucleus.

 The fraction of incident particles scattered is

 The number of scattering nuclei per unit area .

Rutherford Scattering Equation
 In actual experiment a detector is positioned from θto θ+ dθ that
corresponds to incident particles between b and b + db.

 The number of particles scattered per unit area is

4.3: The Classical Atomic Model
Let’s consider atoms as a planetary model.
 The force of attraction on the electron by the nucleus and Newton’s

2nd law give

where v is the tangential velocity of the electron.

 The total energy is
The Planetary Model is Doomed
 From classical E&M theory, an accelerated electric charge
radiates energy (electromagnetic radiation) which means total
energy must decrease. Radius r must decrease!!

Electron crashes into the nucleus!?

 Physics had reached a turning point in 1900 with Planck’s

hypothesis of the quantum behavior of radiation.
4.4: The Bohr Model of the Hydrogen Atom

Bohr’s general assumptions:

1) “Stationary states” (orbiting electrons do not radiate energy) exist
in atoms.
2) E = E1 − E2 = hf
3) Classical laws of physics do not apply to transitions between
stationary states.
4) The mean kinetic energy of the electron-nucleus system is
K = nhforb/2, where forb is the frequency of rotation.
Bohr Radius
 The diameter of the hydrogen atom for stationary states is

Where the Bohr radius is given by

 The smallest diameter of the hydrogen atom is

 n = 1 gives its lowest energy state (called the “ground” state)

The Hydrogen Atom
 The energies of the stationary states

where E0 = 13.6 eV.

 Emission of light occurs when the atom is

in an excited state and decays to a lower
energy state (nu → nℓ).

where f is the frequency of a photon.

R∞ is the Rydberg constant.

Transitions in the Hydrogen Atom
Lyman series
The atom will remain in the
excited state for a short time
before emitting a photon and
returning to a lower stationary
state. All hydrogen atoms exist
in n = 1 (invisible).
Balmer series
When sunlight passes through
the atmosphere, hydrogen
atoms in water vapor absorb
the wavelengths (visible).
Fine Structure Constant

 The electron’s velocity in the Bohr model:

 On the ground state,

v1 = 2.2 × 106 m/s ~ less than 1% of the speed of light.

 The ratio of v1 to c is the fine structure constant.

The Correspondence Principle

Classical electrodynamics + Bohr’s atomic model

Determine the properties

of radiation

Need a principle to relate the new modern results with classical

ones.
In the limits where classical and quantum
Bohr’s correspondence
principle
theories should agree, the quantum
theory must reduce the classical result.
The Correspondence Principle
 The frequency of the radiation emitted fclassical is equal to the orbital
frequency forb of the electron around the nucleus.

 The frequency of the transition from n + 1 to n is

 For large n,

Substitute E0:
4.5: Successes and Failures of the Bohr Model
 The electron and hydrogen nucleus actually revolved about their
mutual center of mass.

 The electron mass is replaced by its reduced mass.

 The Rydberg constant for infinite nuclear mass is replaced by R.

Limitations of the Bohr Model

The Bohr model was a great step of the new quantum theory,
but it had its limitations.

1) Works only to single-electron atoms.

2) Could not account for the intensities or the fine structure
of the spectral lines.
3) Could not explain the binding of atoms into molecules.
4.6: Characteristic X-Ray Spectra and
Atomic Number
 Shells have letter names:
K shell for n = 1
L shell for n = 2

 The atom is most stable in its ground state.

An electron from higher shells will fill the inner-
shell vacancy at lower energy.
 When it occurs in a heavy atom, the radiation emitted is an x ray.
 It has the energy E (x ray) = Eu − Eℓ.
Atomic Number

L shell to K shell Kα x ray

M shell to K shell Kβ x ray

 Atomic number Z = number of protons in the nucleus.

 Moseley found a relationship between the frequencies of the
characteristic x ray and Z.
This holds for the Kα x ray.
Moseley’s Empirical Results

 The x ray is produced from n = 2 to n = 1 transition.

 In general, the K series of x ray wavelengths are

Moseley’s research clarified the importance of the electron shells

for all the elements, not just for hydrogen.
4.7: Atomic Excitation by Electrons
 Franck and Hertz studied the phenomenon of ionization.

Accelerating voltage is below 5 V.

electrons did not lose energy.
Accelerating voltage is above 5 V.
sudden drop in the current.
Atomic Excitation by Electrons
 Ground state has E0 to be zero.
First excited state has E1.
The energy difference E1 − 0 = E1 is the excitation energy.
 Hg has an excitation energy of
4.88 eV in the first excited state
 No energy can be transferred to
Hg below 4.88 eV because not
enough energy is available to
excite an electron to the next
energy level

 Above 4.88 eV, the current drops because scattered electrons no longer
reach the collector until the accelerating voltage reaches 9.8 eV and so on.