Rutherford concluded the model of the atom from the α-particle scattering experiment as:
(i) There is a positively charged centre in an atom called the nucleus. Nearly all the mass of an atom resides in the nucleus.
(ii) The electrons revolve around the nucleus in well-defined orbits.
(iii) The size of the nucleus is very small as compared to the size of the atom.
Drawbacks of Rutherford’s model
- He explained that the electrons in an atom revolve around the nucleus in well-defined orbits. Particles in a circular orbit would experience acceleration.
- Thus, the revolving electron would lose energy and finally fall into the nucleus.
- But this cannot take place as the atom would be unstable and matter would not exist in the form we know.
Be More Curious!!!
- The Millikan’s Oil Drop Experiment was an experiment performed by Robert A. Millikan and Harvey Fletcher in 1909 to measure the charge of an electron.
- In the experiment, Millikan allowed charged tiny oil droplets to pass through a hole into an electric field.
- By varying the strength of electric field, the charge over an oil droplet was calculated, which always came as an integral value of ‘e.’
- The conclusion of this is that the charge is said to be quantized, i.e. the charge on any particle will always be an integral multiple of e which is 1.6*10-19