# Doesn't the Bohr's atomic model violate Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism? [duplicate]

According to Bohr's atomic model, the electrons do not radiate energy when they revolve in the predefined orbits. But according to Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, an accelerated charge produces electromagnetic waves and loses energy.

In Bohr's atomic model of an atom the electrons are in a circular motion so they are essentially accelerating thus they should lose energy due to the reasons mentioned above and eventually collapse into the nucleus. But it doesn't happen, so isn't it a violation of the EM theory?

Edit: The question is related to consensus of Bohr and Maxwell rather than Rutherford and Bohr.

• – sammy gerbil Oct 4 '18 at 14:13

Yes. Bohr's model is not really a theory at all -- it's just the observation that you get the right atomic spectra if you simply assume the particle may only have angular momentum $$L = n \hbar$$ and that the $$n = 0$$ state is stable. No reason is given for this, so of course it contradicts Maxwell's equations.