First, I will start of with some atomic theory history. In the early 1900s, Ernest Rutherford came up with the planetary model of the atom, which is the one that is familiar to us today, although it is incorrect. The model could not explain: the electron collapse problem, periodic trends, and atomic line spectra.
The Danish physicist Neils Bohr applied the newly developed quantum idea (Max Planck) to the hydrogen atom. The quantum idea states that light travels as a packet of energy called a quantum. The electrons of a hydrogen atom are found in energy levels outside the nucleus called shells, and the electrons could only be found in these energy levels. They would not fall into the nucleus. Energy levels were designated by the principal quantum number, n. Using this model, Bohr was able to explain the atomic line spectra for the hydrogen atom.
Unfortunately, the Bohr Model could only explain the atomic line spectrum for elements with one electron. The quantum mechanical model began to emerge.
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| Bohr Model of the atom |
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle states that it is not possible to know the exact position and momentum of an electron at the same time.
The Schrödinger Wave Equation describes the behaviour and energy of electrons. It is denoted by the Greek letter psi. Psi^2 is the probability of finding an electron in a particle region of space. This equation can only be solved for systems with one electron. All others are approximated. The solutions to the equation yields the quantum numbers, used to describe the most probable location of the electron in the atom.
I'm afraid that will be it for now
. In the next post (which will hopefully be in a few hours), I will describe the quantum numbers and laws associated with them!
