Main features of the quantum mechanical model of atom

Main features of the quantum mechanical model of atom

1. The energy of electrons in atoms is quantised

2. The existence of quantized electronic energy levels is a direct result of the wave like properties of electrons. The solutions of Schrödinger wave equation gives the allowed energy levels (orbits).

3. According to Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the exact position and momentum of an electron can not be determined with absolute accuracy. As a consequence, quantum mechanics introduced the concept of orbital. Orbital is a three dimensional space in which the probability of finding the electron is maximum.

4. The solution of SchrÖdinger wave equation for the allowed energies of an atom gives the wave function ψ, which represents an atomic orbital. The wave nature of electron present in an orbital can be well defined by the wave function ψ.

5. The wave function ψ itself has no physical meaning. However, the probability of finding the electron in a small volume dxdydz around a point (x,y,z) is x proportional to |ψ(x,y,z)|² dxdydz |ψ(x,y,z)|² is known as probability density and is always positive.