Bohr’s Atomic Model

In 1913, using Planck’s quantum theory, Bohr made the following postulates:
1. The atom has a massive positively charged nucleus.
2. The electrons revolve round the nucleus in circular orbits, the centrifugal force being
balanced by electrostatic pull between nucleus and electrons.
3. An electron cannot revolve round the nucleus in any arbitrary orbit but just in certain
definite discrete orbits.
4. While revolving in these permitted orbits, the electron does not radiate out any
electromagnetic energy.
5. The atom radiates out energy only when an electron jumps from one orbit to another. If
𝐸2 and 𝐸1 are the energies corresponding to two orbits before and after the jump, the
frequency of the emitted photon is given by the relation:
𝐸2 − 𝐸1 = ℎ𝑓
∆𝐸 = ℎ𝑓
Electron energies and momentum
The electron of charge −𝑒 is attracted to the point charge of the nucleus of charge +𝑧𝑒. The
nucleus is so massive compared to the electron that it can be considered fixed in position while
the electron revolves around it. The potential energy of an electron at distance 𝑟 from the
nucleus is given by:
𝑃. 𝐸. = 𝑉 ∗ (−𝑒)
𝑄 𝑍𝑒
𝑉= =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
𝑍𝑒
𝑃. 𝐸. = ∗ (−𝑒)
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
−𝑍𝑒 2
𝑃. 𝐸. =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
1
𝐿𝑒𝑡 =∝
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
−∝ 𝑍𝑒 2
𝑃. 𝐸. = … … … … … … … … . . (1)
𝑟
The kinetic energy of an electron moving at a velocity 𝑣 is given by:
1
𝐾. 𝐸. = 𝑚𝑣 2
2
Where 𝑚 is the mass of the electron.

Page 1 of 5
The total energy of the electron is:
1 2
∝ 𝑍𝑒 2
𝐸 = 𝑚𝑣 − … … … … … … … … . . (2)
2 𝑟
In circular orbit, the balancing of the coulomb attraction force and centrifugal force is given by:
𝑚𝑣 2
𝐶𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑔𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 =
𝑟
𝑧𝑒 ∗ 𝑒
𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 2
𝑧𝑒 2
𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 2
𝑧𝑒 2
𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑜𝑚𝑏 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = ∝ 2
𝑟
𝑧𝑒 2 𝑚𝑣 2
∝ = … … … … … … … … (3)
𝑟2 𝑟
𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑠: 𝑚𝑣 2 𝑟 =∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 … … … … … . . (4)
Hence potential energy can be given by:
𝑧𝑒 2
∝ = 𝑚𝑣 2 … … … … … … … … (5)
𝑟
This condition means that total energy can be given by:
1 1
𝐸= 𝑚𝑣 2 − 𝑚𝑣 2 = − 𝑚𝑣 2 … … … … … … . . (6)
2 2
The angular momentum is given by:
𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣𝑟
From (4) we have:

𝑣𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣 2 𝑟 =∝ 𝑧𝑒 2
Hence:

∝ 𝑧𝑒 2
𝑣=
𝑝
This means total energy from (6) is given by:
1 (𝑚 ∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 )2
𝐸= … … … … … … … … … (7)
2 𝑝2

Page 2 of 5
If the electron goes from angular momentum 𝑝1 to angular momentum 𝑝2 , there will be change
of energy ∆𝐸 which will go into photon of frequency 𝑓. Hence we have:
1 (𝑚 ∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 )2
∆𝐸 = ℎ𝑓 =
2 𝑝12 − 𝑝22
For a change in angular momentum which is small the change in energy is approximated by:
𝑑𝐸
∆𝐸 = ( )∆𝑝
𝑑𝑝
(𝑚 ∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 )2
∆𝐸 = ∆𝑝
𝑝3
According to classical physics the angular frequency associated with charge revolving in a circular
orbit of radius 𝑟 with tangential velocity 𝑣 is given by:
𝑣 𝜔
𝜔= 𝐴𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑓 =
𝑟 2𝜋
ℎ𝜔 ℎ 𝑣 (𝑚 ∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 )2
∴ ∆𝐸 = ℎ𝑓 = = = ∆𝑝
2𝜋 2𝜋 𝑟 𝑝3
Since 𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣𝑟 we have:
ℎ 𝑣 (𝑚 ∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 )2
= ∆𝑝 … … … … … … … … . . (8)
2𝜋 𝑟 𝑚3 𝑣 3 𝑟 3
From (5) we have:

𝑧𝑒 2
∝ = 𝑚𝑣 2
𝑟
Squaring both sides of the equation gives:
(∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 )2 𝑧𝑒 2
= 𝑚2 𝑣 4
𝑟2
Dividing both by 𝑚2 𝑣 3 𝑟 gives:

(∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 )2 𝑣
= … … … … … … … (9)
𝑚2 𝑣 3 𝑟 3 𝑟
Comparing (8) and (9) shows that:
ℎ
∆𝑝 =
2𝜋

Page 3 of 5
In other words the angular momentum of an electron in an atom must change by an increment
equal to planks constant divided by 2𝜋 i.e. the angular momentum of an electron is quantized.
Therefore:
𝑛ℎ
𝑚𝑣𝑟 = … … … … … … … … … … . (10)
2𝜋
Where 𝑛 is the quantum number.
From (4) we have:
𝑧𝑒 2
𝑚𝑣 2 𝑟 =∝ 𝑧𝑒 2 =
4𝜋𝜖0
From (10) we have:
𝑛ℎ
𝑚𝑣𝑟 =
2𝜋
Making 𝑣 subject in (10) and then squaring we get:
𝑛ℎ
𝑣=
2𝜋𝑚𝑟

2
𝑛2 ℎ2
𝑣 = 2 2 2
4𝜋 𝑚 𝑟
Substituting in (4) we get:
𝑚𝑛2 ℎ2 𝑟 𝑧𝑒 2
=
4𝜋 2 𝑚2 𝑟 2 4𝜋 ∈0
∈0 𝑛2 ℎ2
𝑟= … … … … … … … … . (11)
𝜋𝑚𝑧𝑒 2
Electron energies
Kinetic energy:
From (4) we have:

2
𝑧𝑒 22
𝑚𝑣 𝑟 =∝ 𝑧𝑒 =
4𝜋𝜖0
𝑧𝑒 2
2
𝑚𝑣 =
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
1 2
𝑧𝑒 2
𝑚𝑣 =
2 8𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
But from (11) we have:

Page 4 of 5
 ∈0 𝑛2 ℎ2
𝑟=
𝜋𝑚𝑧𝑒 2
𝑚𝑧 2 𝑒 4
𝐾. 𝐸. =
8 ∈20 𝑛2 ℎ2
Potential Energy:
From (5) we have:
𝑧𝑒 2
𝑃. 𝐸. =∝ = −𝑚𝑣 2
𝑟
−𝑚𝑧 2 𝑒 4
𝑃. 𝐸. =
4 ∈20 𝑛2 ℎ2
Total Energy:
From (6) we have:
1 1
𝐸 = 𝑚𝑣 2 − 𝑚𝑣 2 = − 𝑚𝑣 2
2 2
−𝑚𝑧 2 𝑒 4
𝐸=
8 ∈20 𝑛2 ℎ2

Page 5 of 5