Structure of Atom
Punjab Board · Class 11 · Chemistry
Complete topic list for Structure of Atom in Punjab Board Class 11 Chemistry. Key concepts, sub-topics, and what to focus on for board exams.
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Discovery of Sub-Atomic Particles
- Cathode ray experiments by Faraday and others showed that electricity has a particulate nature.
- Cathode rays travel from cathode to anode, are deflected by electric and magnetic fields, and consist of negatively charged particles called electrons.
- Cathode rays are independent of the electrode material and gas used – proving electrons are universal constituents of all atoms.
Atomic Models – Thomson, Rutherford, and Their Drawbacks
- Thomson Model (1898): Atom is a uniform sphere of positive charge with electrons embedded in it – like a plum pudding or watermelon with seeds.
- Thomson's model could explain electrical neutrality but was disproved by Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering experiment.
- Rutherford's Alpha Scattering Experiment: Alpha particles from a radioactive source were fired at a thin gold foil (~100 nm thick).
Electromagnetic Radiation and Planck's Quantum Theory
- Electromagnetic radiation is produced when a charged particle accelerates – consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to each other and to the direction of propagation.
- EM radiation travels through vacuum at speed of light c = 3.0 × 10⁸ m/s.
- Key properties: wavelength (λ), frequency (ν), wavenumber (ν̄).
Atomic Spectra and Bohr's Model of Hydrogen Atom
- White light through a prism gives continuous spectrum (all wavelengths). Atomic emission gives line spectrum (discrete wavelengths).
- Each element has a unique line spectrum – used as a 'fingerprint' to identify elements (e.g., He discovered in the Sun spectroscopically).
- Hydrogen spectrum: Balmer series (visible, n₁=2, n₂=3,4,5...), Lyman (UV, n₁=1), Paschen (IR, n₁=3), Brackett (IR, n₁=4), Pfund (IR, n₁=5).
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