Question

Explain the important features of Rutherford’s planetary model and write its defects

Answer 1

In Rutherford's planetary model of the atom, the electrons move through empty space around the tiny positive nucleus like planets orbiting the sun. This model of the atom was proposed by New Zealand born physicist Ernest Rutherford.

Complete step by step answer:
Rutherford’s discoveries stated that Thomson's plum-pudding model of atom was incorrect. The positive charges do not spread around through the atom. Instead of that the positive charges are all concentrated in the tiny nucleus. The rest of the atom is empty space except for the electrons within the atom. In Rutherford’s planetary model of the atom the electrons are spread around the massive nucleus like planets orbiting the sun. Rutherford’s model is still used to represent the atom.
-Summary of Rutherford’s Planetary model of atom;
1.Ernest Rutherford discovered the nucleus of an atom in 1911. He sent a beam of alpha particles which has positive charges towards a gold foil and observed that the alpha particles were deflected by the gold atoms. From his results, he concluded that all of the positive charges in the atom are concentrated in one tiny area, called the nucleus and the rest of the atom is mostly empty space.
2.In Rutherford’s planetary model of atom, the electrons move through the empty spaces around the tiny nucleus like planets orbiting the sun.
-Defects of Rutherford’s atomic model
1.Failed to explain the stability of electrons in the circular path around the nucleus.
2.The planetary model of the atom failed to explain why individual atoms produce discrete line spectra.

Note:
Like Rutherford’s model of atom, there exist many theories like Thomson’s plum-pudding model and Bohr’s atom model. By the discovery of Rutherford’s atom model Thomson's plum-pudding model was defeated.