400 B.

C 1704 1803 1906 1911

Isaac Newton theorized J.J. Thomson determined the charge
a mechanical universe to mass ratio of electrons Rutherford found that
with small, solid masses the atom is mostly empty
in motion space, with nearly all of its
mass concentrated in a
John Dalton proposed that elements tiny central nucleus. The
consisted of atoms that were nucleus is positively
identical and had the same mass and charged and surrounded
that compounds were atoms from at a great distance by the
different elements combined negatively charged
together. electrons.
Democritus’ atomic
theory posited that all
matter is made up
small indestructible
units he called atoms.
 1913 1932 1817 1864 1869
John Newlands put forward his
James law of octaves in 1864 in which he
Chadwick discovered arranged all the elements known
neutrons, particles whose at the time into a table in order of
mass was close to that of a relative atomic mass. When he did Dmitri
proton. this, he found that each element Mendeleev created the
was similar to the element eight periodic table.
places further on. For example,
starting at Li, Be is the second
Niels Bohr proposed element, B is the third and Na is
an atomic structure the eighth element.
theory that stated the
outer orbit of an atom
could hold more Johann Dobereiner organized elements
electrons than the in groups called triads and proposed the
inner orbit. “Law of Octaves” for organizing the
elements
 1913

Henry Moseley was an outstandingly skilled experimental physicist. In 1913 he used self-built equipment to prove that every element’s identity is uniquely
determined by the number of protons it has. His discovery revealed the true basis of the periodic table and enabled Moseley to predict confidently the
existence of four new chemical elements, all of which were found.