Quantum Model:

In 1926 Erwin Schrödinger, an Austrian physicist, took the Bohr atom model one step further.
Schrödinger used mathematical equations to describe the likelihood of finding an electron in a
certain position. This atomic model is known as the quantum mechanical model of the atom.
Unlike the Bohr model, the quantum mechanical model does not define the exact path of an
electron, but rather, predicts the odds of the location of the electron. This model can be portrayed
as a nucleus surrounded by an electron cloud. Where the cloud is most dense, the probability of
finding the electron is greatest, and conversely, the electron is less likely to be in a less dense
area of the cloud. Thus, this model introduced the concept of sub-energy levels.

Quantum mechanics is based on Schrödinger’s wave equation and its solution. The solution of the
wave equation brings the idea of shells, sub-shells and orbitals. The probability of finding an electron
at a point within an atom is proportional to the |ψ| 2 at that point, where ψ represents the wave-function
of that electron.
Application of Schrödinger’s equation to multi-electron atoms present’s some difficulty: Schrödinger’s
wave equation cannot be solved exactly for a multi-electron atom. This difficulty was overcome by
using approximate methods.
The application of Schrödinger wave equation in determining the structure of an atom led to the
formation of the quantum mechanical model of an atom.

Features of quantum mechanical model:

1. The energy of an electron is quantized i.e. an electron can only have certain specific values of
energy.

2. The quantized energy of an electron is the allowed solution of the Schrödinger wave equation
and it is the result of wave like properties of electron.

3. As per Heisenberg’s Uncertainty principle, the exact position and momentum of an electron
cannot be determined. So the only probability of finding an electron at a position can be
determined and it is |ψ|2 at that point where ψ represents the wave-function of that electron.

4. An atomic orbital is the wave-function (ψ) of an electron in an atom. Whenever an electron is

described by a wave-function, it occupies atomic orbital. As an electron can have many wave-
functions, there are many atomic orbitals for the electron. Every wave-function or atomic orbital
have some shape and energy associated with it. All the information about the electron in an
atom is stored in its orbital wave function ψ and quantum mechanics makes it possible to
extract this information out of ψ.

5. The probability of finding an electron at a point within an atom is proportional to the square of
the orbital wave function i.e., | ψ |2 at that point. | ψ |2 is known as probability density and is
always positive.
Bohr Model

Quantum Mechanical model