Understanding the Bohr Model and Electron Decay

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Bohr model of the atom, specifically addressing how it accounts for the behavior of electrons, particularly regarding their energy states and the issue of electron decay into the nucleus. Participants explore the implications of the model on electron behavior and energy loss, as well as the historical context of Bohr's contributions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion about how the Bohr model resolves the issue of accelerating electrons losing energy and potentially decaying into the nucleus, questioning the explanation of quantized energy levels.
  • Another participant points out that the Bohr model was primarily aimed at explaining emission spectra rather than preventing electrons from crashing into the nucleus.
  • A participant raises a concern about the implications of treating electrons as clouds, suggesting that density distortions in this model could lead to energy loss through the emission of electromagnetic waves.
  • There is a challenge regarding the need for specific scenarios when discussing energy transitions, emphasizing that vague questions yield vague answers.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the effectiveness of the Bohr model in explaining electron behavior, with multiple competing views and uncertainties present regarding the implications of electron cloud models and energy transitions.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations in the discussion, such as the need for specific scenarios to address questions about energy states and transitions, as well as the dependence on definitions related to the Hamiltonian of the system.

jamie.j1989
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Hi, I'm really struggling to comprehend how the Bohr model solves the problem of accelerating electrons losing energy and decaying into the nucleus. I've read through a lot of discussions on line and on PF and all I keep on reading is stuff like, the quantization of energy levels leads to a ground state of the energy and so this solves the problem of accelerating charged particles, how? Surely the electrons are still accelerating in the ground state or in any other state for that matter and so must be losing energy, how is this actually countered? Thanks.
 
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Did you read the FAQ on this topic here?

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/why-dont-electrons-crash-into-the-nucleus-in-atoms.511179/

BTW, just to correct your spelling, it is "Bohr", not "Bhor". You tend to want to make sure you spell the names of very famous people correctly.

Zz.
 
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Thanks ZapperZ, so am I right in saying that when Bohr put forward this model it was in no way an attempt to explain why electrons don't crash into the nucleus but rather just an attempt at explaining emission spectra? Also this now leads me to ask, if we're now dealing with the electron being some sort of cloud distributed across a volume and the van der Waals force is explained by density distortions in this cloud, wouldn't these distortions emit EM waves and so reduce the electrons energy?
 
jamie.j1989 said:
Thanks ZapperZ, so am I right in saying that when Bohr put forward this model it was in no way an attempt to explain why electrons don't crash into the nucleus but rather just an attempt at explaining emission spectra? Also this now leads me to ask, if we're now dealing with the electron being some sort of cloud distributed across a volume and the van der Waals force is explained by density distortions in this cloud, wouldn't these distortions emit EM waves and so reduce the electrons energy?

Only if a transition to a lower energy state is allowed and available!

You can't just simply ask question like this without dealing with a specific scenario. Your question doesn't indicate if the system is already in a ground state, what are the Hamiltonian of the system in question, etc. ... etc. In other words, your vague question will only allow me to give you a vague answer. And I did.

Zz.
 

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