Which aspect of the classical mechanical description of the atom is fundamentally flawed?

• A. Electrons in orbit around the nucleus should continuously emit energy and spiral into the nucleus.
• B. The mass of an atom is concentrated entirely in the electrons.
• C. Atoms are indivisible and cannot be broken down into smaller particles.
• D. Electrons are stationary and fixed in position around the nucleus.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the classical mechanical model of the atom, which treats electrons as particles orbiting the nucleus much like planets orbit the sun.
2. Recall that according to classical electromagnetism, any charged particle moving in a circular orbit should emit electromagnetic radiation continuously, losing energy in the process.
3. Recognize that if electrons continuously emitted energy while orbiting, they would lose kinetic energy, spiral inward, and eventually collapse into the nucleus, making atoms unstable.
4. Note that this prediction contradicts the observed stability of atoms, indicating a fundamental flaw in the classical model.
5. Conclude that the classical mechanical description fails because it cannot explain why electrons do not spiral into the nucleus, which led to the development of quantum mechanical models where electrons occupy stable energy levels.