In the Bohr model, which quantity of the electron remains fixed for a particular stationary orbit?

Its kinetic energy for all orbits

Its distance from the nucleus for all orbits

In the Bohr model, which quantity of the electron remains fixed…

Answer: Its angular momentum for that orbit.

A Its kinetic energy for all orbits
B Its speed for all orbits
C Its distance from the nucleus for all orbits
D Its angular momentum for that orbit

Correct answer: D. Its angular momentum for that orbit

Explanation: For a particular stationary orbit, the electron has a definite quantised angular momentum L = nh/(2π). The value changes between different allowed orbits.

Comparison of the Thomson model and the Rutherford model of the atom: in the Thomson plum pudding model alpha particles pass almost straight through a diffuse positive sphere, while in the Rutherford model a concentrated central nucleus deflects some alpha particles through large angles, with the lower panels showing the alpha particle source and gold foil and the observed result of wide-angle scattering

The Geiger–Marsden alpha-scattering result: a few alpha particles bounce back at large angles, which rules out Thomson’s diffuse model and demands a tiny, massive, positively charged nucleus. Image: Kurzon, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Concept context

Thomson's plum-pudding model, Rutherford's nuclear model from alpha-scattering, Bohr's postulates and hydrogen spectrum, spectral series (Lyman to Pfund), Rydberg formula, and limitations of each model.

Read the full Atoms notes →

In the Bohr model, which quantity of the electron remains fixed for a particular stationary orbit?

Concept context

More Atoms questions