Question

Mention the major drawbacks of Rutherford's atomic model.

Hint:

Remember: Bohr’s model corrected Rutherford’s drawbacks by proposing quantized electron orbits where energy is not radiated in stable states.

Answer 1

The major drawbacks of Rutherford’s atomic model are:
According to classical electromagnetic theory, electrons revolving in circular orbits should radiate energy continuously because they are accelerated charges.
Due to continuous energy loss, electrons should spiral into the nucleus, leading to the collapse of the atom. This implies that atoms should be unstable, which contradicts experimental evidence of stable atoms.
The model could not explain the line spectrum of hydrogen and other elements. Instead of discrete lines, it predicted a continuous spectrum.
Final Answer: Rutherford’s model failed to explain atomic stability and discrete line spectra.