Rutherford's model, also known as the planetary model, was a significant step forward in atomic theory, but it had a major flaw: it couldn't explain the stability of atoms.
Rutherford's model proposed that electrons orbit the nucleus like planets around the sun. However, according to classical physics, accelerating charged particles (like electrons) should continuously emit electromagnetic radiation, losing energy and spiraling into the nucleus. This would cause atoms to collapse instantly, which clearly doesn't happen.
The instability problem was addressed by Niels Bohr, who proposed that electrons occupy specific, quantized energy levels, and only transition between these levels by absorbing or emitting photons. Bohr's model successfully explained the stability of atoms and the emission spectra of elements.
Rutherford's model was a crucial stepping stone in the development of atomic theory, but it was ultimately replaced by more sophisticated models that incorporated quantum mechanics.
