BOHR`s ATOMIC MODEL DEMOSTRATION

Leonardo Valencia Restrepo

e-mail: valencia.lyon94@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: To understand how was arising

slowly the answer to fundamentals propierties of atoms,
its nescessry to quote the great scientists of the
twentieth century. Thanks to scientific advances, they
postulated a model about the atomic struture. It all began
with the danish physicist, Neils Bohr, he proposed in
1914, the hydrogen atomic model, Bohr describe a core
with an electron around it, like a planet around the sun.
This model help to understand the spectrums issued
when the light is refracted.
KEYWORDS : waves , energy, length, amplitude,
atom, levels, quantum, physic, Planck, Einstein, core,
spectrum, hydrogen, electron, frequency, light,

Picture 1: Electromagnetics waves representation.

Credits: National Aeronautis and Space
Administration.

MAIN FEATURES

By multiplying the wavelenght by the frequency, we

get the wave speed.

1. THE LIGHT AND ITS SPECTRUM

We know the light is a manifestation of the
electromagnetic waves and this manifestation is a
energy form that start from the matters most little level.
This all began because the electrons make level
changes in its orbits.

f =C
(1)
Ec.(1) Lamdan () is the wavelenght by the
frequency
( f ) equal to C, and C is the speed that the
electromagnetic energy is getting in vaccum and it has a
constant speed of 3 x 10^8 m/s and it is known as
speedlight.

The next imagen is a physicaly representation about

we see as electromagnetic energy intensity and this
intensity is proportional to the square of the amplitude.

The light source comes from the atoms energy

excitation and this provides data about its constitution. In
conclusion the energized atoms issue light with its
respective pallete called spectrum.
The chemists began to catolog the spectums of
diferents elements and they discovered that each
elementas its own spectrum brand and they began to
use this results to identify the present elements in
minerals and molecules.

2. THE ORBITS ENERGY

Picture 2. Hydrogen atom model with its orbits levels

Credits. Escolares.net.
The existence of atom spectrum implies a general
principle behind the atomic structure.
A very important step was given when Albert Einstein
proposed the photoelectric efect. Einstein explained the
photoelectric efect assuming the beam of light behaves
like a particles source called photons whose energy (E)
is associated with its frequency (f) and the Planck
constant (h).

Picture 3. The core in the center and the electron around

it. The vectors is showing how the electron works.
Credits. Pachamamatrust.org
The electron moves in the orbit with a radio r around
a positive charge (Ze).
The total energy could be ralated with orbit radio.

E=hf

E=

The potential energy (U) of the electron of positive

charge at distance r is:

hc

U=

(2)

K q1 q 2 KZe (e ) KZ e2
=
=
r
r
r
(3)

Ec.(2) Energy (E) is equal to Planck constant

(h = 6,626 x 10^-34 Js) by frequency. (the Planck
constant is an explanation to the spectral distribution of
black body radiation).

Ec.(3) K is the Coulomb constant, Z is the atomic

number (the model is hydrogen so Z=1).
Its known the total energy is equal to potential
energy (U) plus kinetics energy (Ec). The potential
energy was got in the last equation.
For getting the kinetics energy now the Newtons
second law is used.

Ec.(2) now Planck constant (h) by the speedlight (c)

is constant and is equal to 1240eV = hc.
The principal conclusion of Einstein job was the
behavior of light and others energy forms was very
complex. The light behaves as waves as much particles.
This idea is thought the light is something analogous to
the matter, this means that in the quantum level both
matter and electromagnetic energy are quantized (they
are in discrete amounts) and finally this means they
describes a integer number n 1.

F=ma c
F=

Based in this point of view , the danish physicist,

Neils Bohr proposed the hydrogen atom model with a
core and an electron around it, like the planets around
the sun, according to Bohr, the energy and the angular
momentum is quantized and those dependent from a
value (n), restricting each orbits radio and hence the
electron energy.

mv 2
r

(4)

Ec.(4) the mechanic force is equal to mass by the

aceleration but in this case the equation is in fuction of r.

Fa =

KZ e2
r2

3. THE THREE BOHRs POSTULATES

(5)

3.1 THE FIRST POSTULATE (NONRADIATIVE

ORBITS)

Ec.(5) The Coulomb atractive force.

Bohr resolved the atom collapse difficulty postulating

that are only allowed certains orbits called stationary
states, and this orbits, the electron does not radiates
energy. The radiation only exist when the electron makes
orbits transitions.

KZ e2 m v 2
=
r
r2
2

KZ e
=m v 2
r

3.2 THE SECOND POSTULATE (PHOTON

FREQUENCY ACCORDING THE ENERGY
CONSERVATION)

(6)

Ec.(6) The Coulomb atractive force.

The second postulate related the frequency radiation

with stationary states energy. If (E) are the final and initial
energies of the atom, the frequency radiation issued
during a transition is given by:

Charles-Augustin de Coulomb postulated the force

works in the same case with the atoms, thats why its
possible to match the mechanic force and the Coulomb
atractive force.

f =E/h
(9)

Therefore,

now combining the Ec.(8) and Ec.(9), the result is:

1
2
Ec = m v
2

f=

Kz e
2r
h

1 KZ e2
Ec =
2
r

f=

(7)

KZ e 2
2 rh

Ec.(7) now the kinetics energy is got.

2

f=

ET =Ec +U

KZ e 1 1

2h
r2 r1

)
(10)

1 KZ e KZ e
ET =

2 r
r
KZ e 2
ET =
2r

Ec.(10) Equation according with the stationary states

rule postulate.

3.3 THE THIRD POSTULATE (QUANTIZED

ANGULAR MOMENTUM)
Bohr sought a quantum condition for the orbits
radios that justify this result. After Bohr postulated the
angular momentum of the electron at stable orbit. This is
equal to integer number .

(8)

Ec.(8) The total energy is the sum of the kinetics and

potential energies.
From this part of the demostration, there is a
monentary solution because according to classical
electromagnetic theory, the atom must be unstable, the
electron accelerates when it moves circularly and
therefore the atom radiates electromagnetic energy of
equal frequency to its movement. According to this
theory the atom would collapse, because the electron
would move spiral to collide the core.

h
2

So, the angular momentum of the circular orbit is

equal to mvr, this postulate is:

mvr=
3

nh
2

r=n2

mvr=n

a0
Z

(11)
Ec.(11) related the velocity with the radio, so its
possible to take Ec.(6) and is got a equation that related

Replacing r in Ec.(10), the result is:

KZ e
=m v 2
r

therefore,

v 2=

KZ e
mr

f=

(12)

f =Z 2

now cleared (v) of Ec.(11) and squaring, the result is

v=

v=

KZ e2
2h

1
1
2 2
2
n
n
2
mKZ e
mKZ e 2
2

2 4

mK e
3
4h

1 1
2
2
n2 n1

n
mr
4. ENERGY LEVELS

n 2 2
2 2
m r
(13)

therefore its posible to matching Ec.(12) and Ec.(13)

2

n KZ e
=
2 2
mr
m r

n2 2
=KZ e2
mr

(14)

clearing (r) the result is:

n 2 2
r=
2
mKZ e
(15)
Ec.(15) Bohrs orbit radio equation.
The Bohrs first radio can be got:

2
a0 =
=0,0529nm
mK e 2
Picture 4. Energy levels diagram of hydrogen
Credits. Daviddarling.info

therefore,

The total energy of the electron in the hydrogen atom is

related with orbit radios.

Now finally, according to the energy levels diagram, its

possible to take Ec.(8) (in terms of n) and replace the
quantized value of r given by Ec.(15)

E n=

The atom remains in a quantum state, in this case

the atom does not absorbs or radiate energy but if it
does, there is a energy difference (E) because the
electron changes its orbits positions (n).

KZ e 2
2r

E=E n En
2

En=

En=

KZ e
n 2 2
2
mKZ e 2

E=

m K 2 Z 2 e 4
2 n2 2

E0
n

2
1

E=E0

E0
n22

1 1

n21 n22

therefore, for any atom.

2

En=Z
and

E0

E0

E=13,6 eV

n2

m k2 e4
22

E0=

K e2
2 a0

)
(17)

So, Ec.(17) is the final demostration of the Bohr

atomic model.

has a constant value.

E0=

1 1

n21 n22

REFERENCIAS
P Tipler,.(2000) Fisica para la ciencia y la
tecnologia Vol 2 Cap. 37 (4ta Ed.) . Espaa:
Reverte.
[2] R. Serway.(2001) , Fisica para ciencia e ingenieria
Tomo 2 Cap 40 (4ta Ed.). Espaa: McGrawHill
[3] R. Chang ,(2002), Quimica General. Cap 5 (4ta Ed.)
. Espaa: McGrawHill
[1]

E0=13,6 eV
(16)
Ec.(16) E o is the hydrogen ground state and its
value is always -13,6eV.