What was the major shortcoming of Rutherford's model of the atom?

• A. It suggested that atoms are indivisible and cannot be broken down further.
• B. It failed to account for the existence of neutrons in the nucleus.
• C. It could not explain why electrons do not spiral into the nucleus due to electromagnetic attraction.
• D. It proposed that electrons are embedded within a positively charged sphere.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the key features of Rutherford's atomic model: it proposed a small, dense, positively charged nucleus with electrons orbiting around it, similar to planets around the sun.
2. Understand the problem with this model: classical physics predicts that accelerating charged particles, like electrons in orbit, should emit electromagnetic radiation and lose energy.
3. Recognize that if electrons lost energy continuously, they would spiral inward and collapse into the nucleus, making the atom unstable.
4. Note that Rutherford's model did not provide any mechanism or explanation to prevent this collapse, which was a major theoretical shortcoming.
5. Contrast this with later models (like Bohr's), which introduced quantized electron orbits to explain atomic stability and why electrons do not spiral into the nucleus.