DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE 2024-2025
2. STRUCTURE OF ATOM
GRADE –11
PREPARED BY: Ms. PRIYA S MALLAN
REVIEWED BY: MS. DEEPA DINESH
WEEK: MAY 6 to MAY 12
CG and Competencies:
Explores the physical world around us, and understands scientific
principles and laws based on observations and analysis
Manipulates and analyses different characteristics of the subatomic
particles and mathematizes their relationship
Analyses the different characteristics of the subatomic particles and
applies it to life situations.
INTRODUCTION
DUAL BEHAVIOUR OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
From the study of behaviour of light, scientists came to the conclusion that
light and other electromagnetic radiations have dual nature. These are wave
nature as well as particle nature. Whenever radiation interacts with matter, it
displays particle like properties in contrast to the wavelike properties
(interference and diffraction) which it exhibits when it propagates. Some
microscopic particles, like electrons, also exhibit this wave-particle duality.
• Spectrum
When a ray of white light is passed through a prism the wave with shorter
wavelength bends more than the one with a longer wavelength. Since ordinary
white light consists of waves with all the wavelengths in the visible range, array
of white light is spread out into a series of coloured bands called spectrum. The
light of red colour which has longest wavelength is deviated the least while the
violet light, which has shortest wavelength is deviated the most.
Continuous Spectrum
When a ray of white light is analysed by passing through a prism it is observed
that it splits up into seven different wide bands of colours from violet to red
(like rainbow). These colours are so continuous that each of them merges into
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the next. Hence, the spectrum is called continuous spectrum.
Emission Spectra
Emission Spectra is noticed when the radiations emitted from a source are
passed through a prism and then received on the photographic plate.
Radiations can be emitted in a number of ways such as:
(i) from sun or glowing electric bulb.
(ii) by passing electric discharge through a gas at low pressure.
(iii) by heating a substance to high temperature.
Line Spectra
When the vapours of some volatile substance are allowed to fall on the flame of
a Bunsen burner and then analysed with the help of a spectroscope. Some
specific coloured lines appear on the photographic plate which are different for
different substances. For example, sodium or its salts emit yellow light while
potassium or its salts give out violet light.
Absorption Spectra
When white light is passed through the vapours of a substance and the
transmitted light is then allowed to strike a prism, dark lines appear in the
otherwise continuous spectrum. The dark lines indicate that the radiations
corresponding to them were absorbed by the substance from the white light.
This spectrum is called absorption spectrum.
Dark lines appear exactly at the same positions where the lines in the emission
spectra appear.
• Line Spectrum of Hydrogen
When electric discharge is passed through hydrogen gas enclosed in discharge
tube under low pressure and the emitted light is analysed by a spectroscope,
the spectrum consists of a large number of lines which are grouped into
different series. The complete spectrum is known as hydrogen spectrum.
On the basis of experimental observations, Johannes Rydberg noted that all
series of lines in the hydrogen spectrum could be described by the following
expression:
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Rydberg in 1890, and has given a simple theoretical equation for the
calculation of wavelengths and wave numbers of the spectral lines in different
series of hydrogen spectrum. The equation is known as Rydberg formula (or
equation).
This relation is valid for hydrogen atom only. For other species,
where Z is the atomic number of the species.
Here RH = constant, called Rydberg constant for hydrogen and n1 , n2 are
integers (n2 > n1)
For any particular series, the value of n1 is constant while that of n2 changes.
For example,
For Lyman series, n1= 1, n2= 2, 3, 4, 5………..
For Balmer series, n1 = 2, n2 = 3, 4, 5, 6………..
For Paschen series, n1= 3, n2 = 4, 5, 6, 7………..
For Brackett series,n1 = 4, n2 = 5, 6, 7, 8………..
For Pjund series, n1 =5, n2 = 6, 7, 8, 9………..
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Thus, by substituting the values of n1 and n2 in the above equation,
wavelengths and wave number of different spectral lines can be calculated.
When n1 = 2, the expression given above is called Balmer’s formula.
• Bohr’s Model of Atom
Niels Bohr in 1913, proposed a new model of atom on the basis of Planck’s
Quantum Theory. The main points of this model are as follows:
(i) In an atom, the electrons revolve around the nucleus in certain definite
circular paths called orbits.
(ii) Each orbit is associated with definite energy and therefore these are known
as energy
levels or energy shells. These are numbered as 1, 2, 3, 4……….. or K, L, M,
N………..
(iii) Only those energy orbits are permitted for the electron in which angular
momentum of the electron is a whole number multiple of h/2π
Angular momentum of electron (mvr) = nh/2π (n = 1, 2, 3, 4 etc).
m = mass of the electron.
v = tangential velocity of the revolving electron.
r = radius of the orbit.
h = Planck’s constant.
n is an integer.
(iv) As long as electron is present in a particular orbit, it neither absorbs nor
loses energy and its energy, therefore, remains constant.
(v) When energy is supplied to an electron, it absorbs energy only in fixed
amounts as quanta and jumps to higher energy state away from the nucleus
known as excited state. The excited state is unstable, the electron may jump
back to the lower energy state and in doing so, it emits the same amount of
energy. (∆E = E2 – E1).
• Achievements of Bohr’s Theory
1. Bohr’s theory has explained the stability of an atom.
2. Bohr’s theory has helped in calculating the energy of electron in hydrogen
atom and one electron species. The mathematical expression for the energy in
the nth orbit is,
The main achievements of Bohr’s theory of atom are:
(i) It can be explain the stability of atom.
(ii) It successfully explains the line spectrum of hydrogen
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(iii) It explains the line spectra of ions with single electrons like He+ and Li2+.
• Limitations of Bohr’s Model
(i) The theory could not explain the atomic spectra of the atoms containing
more than one electron or multielectron atoms.
(ii) Bohr7s theory failed to explain the fine structure of the spectral lines.
(iii) Bohr’s theory could not offer any satisfactory explanation of Zeeman effect
and Stark effect.
(iv) Bohr’s theory failed to explain the ability of atoms to form molecule formed
by chemical bonds.
(v) It was not in accordance with the Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
• DUAL BEHAVIOUR OF MATTER (DE BROGLIE EQUATION)
de Broglie in 1924, proposed that matter, like radiation, should also exhibit
dual behaviour i.e., both particle like and wave like properties. This means that
like photons, electrons also have momentum as well as wavelength.
From this analogy, de Broglie gave the following relation between wavelength
(λ) and momentum (p) of a material particle.
• HEISENBERG’S UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
It states that, “It is impossible to determine simultaneously, the exact position
and exact momentum (or velocity) of an electron”.
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• Significance of Uncertainty Principle
(i) It rules out existence of definite paths or trajectories of electrons and other
similar particles.
(ii) The effect of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle is significant only for
microscopic objects and is negligible for macroscopic objects.
• Reasons for the Failure of Bohr Model
(i) The wave character of the electron is not considered in Bohr Model.
(ii) According to Bohr Model an orbit is a clearly defined path and this path can
completely be defined only if both the position and the velocity of the electron
are known exactly at the same time. This is not possible according to the
Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
• QUANTUM MECHANICAL MODEL OF ATOM
Quantum mechanics: Quantum mechanics is a theoretical science that deals
with the study of the motions of the microscopic objects that have both
observable wave like and particle like properties.
Important Features of Quantum Mechanical Model of Atom
(i) The energy of electrons in atom is quantized i.e., can only have certain
values.
(ii) The existence of quantized electronic energy level is a direct result of the
wave like properties of electrons.
(iii) Both the exact position and exact velocity of an electron in an atom cannot
be determined simultaneously.
(iv) An atomic orbital has wave function φ. There are many orbitals in an atom.
Electron occupy an atomic orbital which has definite energy. An orbital cannot
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have more than two electrons. The orbitals are filled in increasing order of
energy. All the information about the electron in an atom is stored in orbital
wave function φ.
(v) The probability of finding electron at a point within an atom is proportional
to square of orbital wave function i.e., |φ2|at that point. It is known as
probability density and is always positive.
From the value of φ2 at different points within atom, it is possible to predict the
region around the nucleus where electron most probably will be found.
LOC: At the end of the lesson the students are able to
explore the physical world around us, and understands scientific
principles and laws based on observations and analysis
manipulate and analyses different characteristics of the subatomic
particles and mathematizes their relationship
analyse the different characteristics of the subatomic particles and
applies it to life situations.