🧪 Chapter 4 – Structure of the Atom (CBSE Class 9
Chemistry Notes)
🔹 1. Introduction
Atoms were once thought to be indivisible (as per Dalton’s Atomic
Theory).
Later discoveries proved that atoms are made up of smaller
subatomic particles:
Electrons, Protons, and Neutrons.
🔹 2. Discovery of Subatomic Particles
⚡ Electron (e⁻)
Discovered by: J.J. Thomson (1897)
Experiment: Cathode Ray Tube Experiment
Result: Rays deflected by electric and magnetic fields → made of
negatively charged particles called electrons.
➕ Proton (p⁺)
Discovered by: E. Goldstein (1886)
Experiment: Canal Ray Experiment
Result: Positive rays (canal rays) → positively charged particles
called protons.
⚪ Neutron (n⁰)
Discovered by: James Chadwick (1932)
Result: Found neutral particles with mass nearly equal to protons.
🔹 3. Atomic Models
🧩 (a) Thomson’s Model (Plum Pudding Model)
Atom = positively charged sphere with electrons embedded
like plums in pudding.
Couldn’t explain results of Rutherford’s experiment.
☢️(b) Rutherford’s Model (Nuclear Model)
Experiment: Alpha particle scattering experiment
Observations:
o Most α-particles passed straight → atom mostly empty.
o Some deflected → positive charge concentrated in small
region (nucleus).
Conclusions:
o Nucleus is dense and positively charged.
o Electrons revolve around nucleus.
Limitation: Could not explain why revolving electrons don’t fall into
the nucleus.
⚛️(c) Bohr’s Model
Postulates:
1. Electrons revolve in fixed circular paths (energy levels)
called shells or orbits (K, L, M, N...).
2. Each orbit has a fixed energy.
3. Energy is absorbed or emitted when an electron jumps from
one orbit to another.
Higher orbit → lower orbit = energy emitted
Lower orbit → higher orbit = energy absorbed
🔹 4. Important Terms
Symb
Term Definition Example
ol
Atomic Number of protons (or electrons) in an
Z H→1
Number atom
Mass ¹⁴₆C → 6p
A Number of protons + neutrons
Number + 8n
Atoms of same element with same Z but
Isotopes – ¹H, ²H, ³H
different A
Atoms of different elements with same A ⁴⁰₁₈Ar,
Isobars –
but different Z ⁴⁰₂₀Ca
🔹 5. Distribution of Electrons (Bohr–Bury Scheme)
Formula: 2n² (where n = orbit number)
| Shell | n | Maximum Electrons | Example | |--------|---|------------------|----------| | K | 1
| 2 | Helium (2) | | L | 2 | 8 | Oxygen (8) | | M | 3 | 18 | Iron (26 → K=2, L=8, M=16) |
Valence Electrons: Electrons in the outermost shell.
Octet Rule: Atoms try to have 8 electrons in outermost shell (stable configuration).
🔹 6. Representation of Atoms
Element symbol: X
Mass number: A (superscript)
Atomic number: Z (subscript)
Example: ₆¹²C → Carbon atom with 6 protons and 6 neutrons.
🔹 7. Practice Examples
Elemen Atomic No. Mass No. Proto Neutro Electro
t (Z) (A) ns ns ns
Hydroge
1 1 1 0 1
n
Carbon 6 12 6 6 6
Oxygen 8 16 8 8 8
Sodium 11 23 11 12 11
🧠 Quick Summary
Atoms are made of electrons, protons, and neutrons.
Nucleus = protons + neutrons; electrons revolve around it.
Atomic number → identity of element.
Bohr’s model explains energy levels and stability of atom.
Isotopes → same element, different mass.
Isobars → different elements, same mass.
