JEE Main · 2022 · Shift-IeasyATOM-053

If the radius of the 3rd Bohr's orbit of hydrogen atom is r3 and the radius of 4th Bohr's orbit is r4, then:

Structure of Atom · Class 11 · JEE Main Previous Year Question

Question

If the radius of the 3rd3^{\text{rd}} Bohr's orbit of hydrogen atom is r3r_3 and the radius of 4th4^{\text{th}} Bohr's orbit is r4r_4, then:

Options
  1. a

    r4=916r3r_4 = \frac{9}{16}r_3

  2. b

    r4=169r3r_4 = \frac{16}{9}r_3

  3. c

    r4=34r3r_4 = \frac{3}{4}r_3

  4. d

    r4=43r3r_4 = \frac{4}{3}r_3

Correct Answerb

r4=169r3r_4 = \frac{16}{9}r_3

Detailed Solution

🧠 The Geometric scaling In the Bohr model for Hydrogen, the orbit radius (rnr_n) depends purely on the square of the shell number (nn). We are looking for the algebraic relationship between the 4th and 3rd orbits.

🗺️ The Proportion Mapping

  1. General Rule: rn=n2a0r_n = n^2 \cdot a_0.
  2. For n=3: r3=32a0=9a0    a0=r3/9r_3 = 3^2 \cdot a_0 = 9a_0 \implies a_0 = r_3/9.
  3. For n=4: r4=42a0=16a0r_4 = 4^2 \cdot a_0 = 16a_0.
  4. Substitution: r4=16(r39)=169r3r_4 = 16 \left( \frac{r_3}{9} \right) = \frac{16}{9} r_3

The Direct Power Rule Since rn2r \propto n^2, the ratio is simply the ratio of squares: r4r3=4232=169\frac{r_4}{r_3} = \frac{4^2}{3^2} = \frac{16}{9} Write this down once, and you have r4=(16/9)r3r_4 = (16/9)r_3 without even thinking about a0a_0.

⚠️ Common Traps The common "n ratio" mistake—don't write 4/34/3. The relationship is square (n2n^2), not linear (nn). Always pause to ensure you squared the numbers before picking the option.

Answer: (b)\boxed{\text{Answer: (b)}}

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