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Statement 1 - An electron in a circular orbit experiences acceleration and, as a result, radiates energy, leading to a loss of energy over time.
Statement 2 - This energy loss would cause the electron to spiral into the nucleus, making atoms inherently unstable.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
  • a)
    1 Only
  • b)
    2 Only
  • c)
    Both 1 and 2
  • d)
    Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Statement 1 - An electron in a circular orbit experiences acceleration...
 
Both statements are correct. The first statement explains that an electron in a circular orbit undergoes acceleration due to its changing direction, which leads to the emission of energy. This is consistent with classical physics, where charged particles like electrons radiate energy when they are accelerated. The second statement accurately follows from the first: if an electron loses energy as it radiates, it would indeed spiral inward and eventually fall into the nucleus, resulting in atomic instability. However, empirical evidence shows that atoms are stable, which implies that the classical model of the atom is insufficient and that quantum mechanics provides a more accurate description of atomic structure, where electrons occupy defined energy levels that prevent them from spiraling into the nucleus.
 
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Community Answer
Statement 1 - An electron in a circular orbit experiences acceleration...
Understanding the Statements
Statement 1 asserts that an electron in a circular orbit experiences acceleration, which causes it to radiate energy, leading to a gradual loss of energy over time. This aligns with classical electromagnetism, where any charged particle, such as an electron, accelerating in a circular path emits electromagnetic radiation.
Statement 2 builds on the first by stating that this energy loss would lead the electron to spiral into the nucleus, thereby rendering atoms inherently unstable. In classical models, this would suggest that electrons lose energy and eventually collapse into the nucleus, making stable atomic structures impossible.
Correctness of the Statements
- Statement 1: This statement is correct. The physics of classical mechanics implies that an accelerating charge radiates energy.
- Statement 2: This statement is also correct when viewed from the lens of classical physics. If electrons continuously lost energy, they would indeed spiral inward toward the nucleus, leading to atomic instability.
Conclusion
Both statements are correct based on classical physics principles, which is why the answer is option 'C': Both 1 and 2. However, it's crucial to note that quantum mechanics provides a different perspective. In quantum mechanics, electrons occupy quantized energy levels and do not spiral into the nucleus, thus stabilizing atomic structures. The classical view leads to the inference of instability, but the quantum model resolves this by suggesting that electrons exist in discrete energy states.
In summary, while both statements reflect classical interpretations, they are correct in that context, which is why option 'C' is the correct answer.
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Question Description
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