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In the nuclear model why must electrons be moving in a circular orbit, rather than be

In the nuclear model why must electrons be moving in a circular orbit, rather than being a rest??
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Original post by emmalav
In the nuclear model why must electrons be moving in a circular orbit, rather than being a rest??
You seem to be referring to the Rutherford-Bohr model of the atom?

If the electrons were at rest, the electrostatic force between them and the positively charged protons of the nucleus would cause the collapse of the atom and with it all matter. This clearly does not happen.

The Rutherford-Bohr model builds on the classical description of electrostatic attraction between the orbiting electrons and positively charged protons in the nucleus balanced by the centripetal force of the orbit. Further, electrons can only orbit at certain discrete distances from the nucleus.

This model holds for a selected number of systems as a simple explanation, but is now out of date because it does not apply to all observation and experiment.

It is replaced with the far better quantum model in which the electron cannot be regarded as a particle and as such, orbits are replaced with a probability density function.

This latter part is not an easy description that can be answered in a sentence or two.

Can I ask, in what context do you require an answer?

Is this part of an exam question or a coursework you have been set, or is it simply because you are interested?
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by uberteknik
You seem to be referring to the Rutherford-Bohr model of the atom?

If the electrons were at rest, the electrostatic force between them and the positively charged protons of the nucleus would cause the collapse of the atom and with it all matter. This clearly does not happen.

The Rutherford-Bohr model builds on the classical description of electrostatic attraction between the orbiting electrons and positively charged protons in the nucleus balanced by the centripetal force of the orbit. Further, electrons can only orbit at certain discrete distances from the nucleus.

This model holds for a selected number of systems as a simple explanation, but is now out of date because it does not apply to all observation and experiment.

It is replaced with the far better quantum model in which the electron cannot be regarded as a particle and as such, orbits are replaced with a probability density function.

This latter part is not an easy description that can be answered in a sentence or two.

Can I ask, in what context do you require an answer?

Is this part of an exam question or a coursework you have been set, or is it simply because you are interested?


Thank you very much for the help. It was in an old past paper and I was unsure of whether or not it could appear again as the information is not in my textbook .

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