What did Neils Bohr mean when he said that electrons do not lose energy in their orbits?

Question

As such, Rutherford's atomic model was discarded bcoz he wasnt able to explain how electrons do not lose energy.Even Bohr's atomic model cannot explain exactly how they get energy to keep on revolving around nucleus. This question has been annoying me since a long time. I need quick and detailed answers to this question please.

Answer 1

The Rutherford model proposed that atom was formed as a little planetary system with protons in the center and electrons revolving around the nucleus. The problem with this model is that does not explain how can electron can keep its energy in order to continue orbiting the nucleus. That is it, because further experiments and calculations showed that electron loses a little bit of energy in each round so, eventually the electron would spiral inwards to the nucleus until the atom was no more.


With the arrival of Bohr´s model those difficulties were partially overcome because as you know, he proposed that an electron that revolves around the nucleus, only can do it in a specific orbit.
The energy en each orbital is quantized (little packs of energy) and each time that an electron jumps from one orbit to another this amount of energy is carried off by a quantum of light.

Once an electron gets the lowest level of energy it could never spiral inward to the nucleus as were explained by the Rutherford model.

It is important to say that Bohr´s model was just proposed taking as basis the Hydrogen atoms. Heavier atoms needs more complicated models.

That is what I can tell about this issue.

Good luck!

Answer 2

This is because there are a number of forces that act within the atom especially the short distance forces.

Apart from that an electron and a proton are oppositely charged thus an electron is attracted to the nucleus due to the force of attraction between the two opposite charges. But due to the revolutionary motion of the electron it also experiences a centrifugal force that tries to throw it way from the nucleus.

Due to these opposite forces that is the force of attraction and the centrifugal force the electron maintains a revolutionary motion in its own orbit.