NEET UG · Physics · Atoms

Bohr's Atomic Model: NEET previous year questions

13 questions in ten years of NEET, in 9 of 10 papers. Pattern: Every year. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.

Asked in 10 years: 13; about 1.3 per paper
Years asked: 9/10; last asked 2026
Chance of a question next paper: 84%; historical rate, how we compute it
Weighted estimate: 1.5; model; history: 1.3 a paper on average, typically 1–2

Key findings

01
Asked in 9 of 10 papers, 13 questions in all: #44 of 204 topics by ten-year total. It comes back every 1.1 years on average.
02
83% of its questions since 2018 tested an idea never asked before; 1 repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Orbit Radius Calculation, asked 2 times (2023, 2026), usually as “numerical”.
04
NEET has asked 9 of the 85 ideas in this topic; 72 have never been asked, directly or indirectly.
05
Mostly asked as numerical (54%); 54% easy, 8% hard, and up from 1.0 to 1.9 questions a paper since 2024.

Questions per year

Up to 2023: 1.0; per paper
Since 2024: 1.9; +1.0
Usual gap: 1.1 yrs; between papers asking it
Swing: ±0.6; questions, year to year

Recent framings

graph interpretation of alpha scattering
numerical: orbit radius from electron speed
numerical: Bohr-type scaling with modified force

Revise first

Orbit Radius Calculation (2023 2026); Rutherford Alpha Scattering (2026); Angular Momentum Quantization (2025)

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 13 questions on Bohr's Atomic Model since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

Easy7 · 54%
Medium5 · 38%
Hard1 · 8%

Format

Numerical · 7 Q54%
One-line MCQ · 3 Q23%
Figure-based · 1 Q8%
Match the lists · 1 Q8%
Two statements · 1 Q8%

Skill tested

Calculation · 6 Q46%
Recall · 3 Q23%
Concept · 2 Q15%
Data or graph · 1 Q8%
Multi-step · 1 Q8%

Repeats

New idea, or one asked before?

Each column is a paper. Blue questions tested an idea NEET had not asked before; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier paper. 2017 is the first paper, so everything in it counts as new.

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Idea asked for the first time
Idea asked in an earlier paper

Coverage of the topic

NEET has asked 9 of the 85 ideas in this topic. 72 have never been asked yet.

972

Asked directly9 · 11%
Touched inside another question4 · 5%
Never asked72 · 85%

Ideas come from Lumi’s syllabus map of NCERT. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: most new questions come from exactly these.

Drill down

Idea, year, question

Every idea NEET tested in this topic, with its ten papers. Open one to read the questions.

ideaAskedShareYears’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Repeated2 · 15%15%2/10
- 2019 · Q27
  The total energy of an electron in an atom in an orbit is −3.4 eV. Its kinetic and potential energies are, respectively :
  easyNumericalAsked the year before
- 2018 · Q11
  The ratio of kinetic energy to the total energy of an electron in a Bohr orbit of the hydrogen atom, is
  easyOne-line MCQNew idea
Repeated2 · 15%15%2/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10
1 · 8%8%1/10

Squares are the ten papers, 2017 to 2026; darker means more questions. Share is of the level above.

Ideas

Every idea inside this topic

11 different ideas were tested; 2 came more than once. Angular Momentum Quantization is the foundation for 79 other ideas in the syllabus.

Orbit Radius Calculation2×
numerical
Numerical · 6% next · foundation for 72
Kinetic and Potential Energy Ratios2×
numerical
Numerical · 4% next
Rutherford Alpha Scattering1×
graph interpretation of alpha scattering
Figure-based · 6% next
Angular Momentum Quantization1×
numerical
One-line MCQ · 6% next · foundation for 79
De Broglie Wavelength in Bohr Orbit1×
numerical
Numerical · 6% next · foundation for 2
Atomic Neutrality and Emission Spectra1×
statement i/ii on atomic structure
Two statements · 6% next
Balmer Series Visible Spectrum1×
match list on hydrogen spectral lines
Match the lists · 6% next
Spectral Series Limits1×
numerical
Numerical · 4% next · foundation for 4
Energy Level Calculation1×
numerical
Numerical · 4% next · foundation for 51
Valid Hydrogen-like Species1×
identify species where theory is valid
One-line MCQ · 4% next
Max/Min Wavelength Ratio1×
numerical
Numerical · 4% next

Idea	Times	Format	Chance next	Foundation for
Orbit Radius Calculationnumerical	2	NumericalCalculation	6%	72 ideas
Kinetic and Potential Energy Ratiosnumerical	2	NumericalConcept	4%	–
Rutherford Alpha Scatteringgraph interpretation of alpha scattering	1	Figure-basedData or graph	6%	–
Angular Momentum Quantizationnumerical	1	One-line MCQMulti-step	6%	79 ideas
De Broglie Wavelength in Bohr Orbitnumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	6%	2 ideas
Atomic Neutrality and Emission Spectrastatement i/ii on atomic structure	1	Two statementsConcept	6%	–
Balmer Series Visible Spectrummatch list on hydrogen spectral lines	1	Match the listsRecall	6%	–
Spectral Series Limitsnumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	4%	4 ideas
Energy Level Calculationnumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	4%	51 ideas
Valid Hydrogen-like Speciesidentify species where theory is valid	1	One-line MCQRecall	4%	–
Max/Min Wavelength Rationumerical	1	NumericalCalculation	4%	–

Chance next is the historical rate at which an idea with this record came back in the following paper. It is low for every idea, which is why learning the topic beats memorising past questions. All repeated ideas

Every question

Bohr's Atomic Model questions, year by year

The opening words of each question as it appeared in the official paper, with the idea it tested.

NEET 20262 questions

Q35
In Geiger-Marsden experiment, the number of scattered $\alpha$ -particles $N(\theta)$ is plotted as a function of scattering angle…
Idea: Rutherford Alpha Scattering
New ideaMediumFigure-based · figure
Q40
Consider that an electron is revolving in an excited state of Hydrogen atom with velocity $\sqrt{25.6}\times10^5$ ms $^{-1}$ . The radius of…
Idea: Orbit Radius Calculation
MediumNumerical

NEET 20252 questions

Q30
A particle of mass $m$ is moving around the origin with a constant force $F$ pulling it towards the origin. If Bohr model is used to…
Idea: Angular Momentum Quantization
New ideaHardOne-line MCQ
Q34
De-Broglie wavelength of an electron orbiting in the $n$ = 2 state of hydrogen atom is close to (Given Bohr radius = 0.052 nm)
Idea: De Broglie Wavelength in Bohr Orbit
New ideaMediumNumerical

NEET 20242 questions

Q5
Match List I with List II. List I (Spectral Lines of Hydrogen for transitions from) | List II (Wavelengths (nm)) A. $n_2 = 3$ to $n_1 = 2$ …
Idea: Balmer Series Visible Spectrum
New ideaMediumMatch the lists
Q26
Given below are two statements : Statement I : Atoms are electrically neutral as they contain equal number of positive and negative…
Idea: Atomic Neutrality and Emission Spectra
New ideaEasyTwo statements

NEET 20232 questions

Q11
In hydrogen spectrum, the shortest wavelength in the Balmer series is $\lambda$ . The shortest wavelength in the Bracket series is :
Idea: Spectral Series Limits
New ideaMediumNumerical
Q36
The radius of inner most orbit of hydrogen atom is $5.3\times10^{-11}$ m. What is the radius of third allowed orbit of hydrogen atom?
Idea: Orbit Radius Calculation
New ideaEasyNumerical

NEET 20221 question

Q3
Let $T_1$ and $T_2$ be the energy of an electron in the first and second excited states of hydrogen atom, respectively. According to the…
Idea: Energy Level Calculation
New ideaEasyNumerical

NEET 20201 question

Q136
For which one of the following, Bohr model is not valid ?
Idea: Valid Hydrogen-like Species
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20191 question

Q27
The total energy of an electron in an atom in an orbit is −3.4 eV. Its kinetic and potential energies are, respectively :
Idea: Kinetic and Potential Energy Ratios
Asked last yearEasyNumerical

NEET 20181 question

Q11
The ratio of kinetic energy to the total energy of an electron in a Bohr orbit of the hydrogen atom, is
Idea: Kinetic and Potential Energy Ratios
New ideaEasyOne-line MCQ

NEET 20171 question

Q13
The ratio of wavelengths of the last line of Balmer series and the last line of Lyman series is :
Idea: Max/Min Wavelength Ratio
EasyNumerical

Questions from the official NEET UG papers published by NTA (CBSE before 2019). Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.