True or false: Rutherford's two difficulties

Exercise and reference answers

Questions

1. Statement is true

   Yes

   Statement

   Rutherford's model predicts atoms should be unstable.

2. Statement is true

   Yes

   Statement

   That is because an accelerating electron would spiral into the nucleus.

3. Statement is true

   Yes

   Statement

   It also fails to explain the line spectra of elements.

4. Statement is true

   No

   Statement

   Rutherford's model explains line spectra well.

5. Statement is true

   Yes

   Statement

   The nucleus is roughly one ten-thousandth the size of the atom.

Explanation