explain how the path of an electron differs in bohr's model and in the modern model of the atom
Bohr's model has the electrons in defined orbits see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohr_model_of_the_atom
The modern model presents the model in terms of the probability that an electron will be at a particular location.
see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics
In Bohr's model of the atom, electrons are imagined to orbit the nucleus in circular paths, similar to how planets orbit around the sun. These orbits were called energy levels or shells. According to Bohr's model, the electron's path is well-defined. Electrons occupy specific energy levels, and they are not supposed to exist in between these levels.
However, in the modern model of the atom (quantum mechanical model), the concept of a specific and well-defined path for electrons is not valid. According to quantum mechanics, electrons exist in a cloud-like region called an electron cloud or an orbital. These orbitals represent the probability distribution of finding an electron in different regions around the nucleus.
The electron's path in the modern model is not deterministic, but probabilistic. It means that we can only predict the probability of finding an electron in a specific region. The electron cloud is described by mathematical equations called wave functions. These wave functions provide information about the energy, position, and momentum of electrons, but not their exact paths.
To summarize, in Bohr's model, electrons are thought to move in circular orbits at specific energy levels, whereas in the modern model, electrons exist in a cloud-like region with a probability distribution, and their exact paths cannot be determined.