HISTORY OF THE ATOM

HISTORY OF THE ATOM

J.J. Thomson discovered electron

that is resulted on cathode ray
experiment.

An atom can be broken up into

parts : a tiny negatively charged
electron and a massive positively
charged ion.
HISTORY OF THE ATOM
Ernest Rutherford discovered

nucleus with proton that is

resulted on Alpha Scattering
Experiment
 HISTORY OF THE ATOM

Since the nucleus appeared to be heavy, Rutherford and other scientists

assumed that there must be another type of sub atomic particle in the atomic
nucleus.

In 1920, James Chadwick was awarded the Nobel Prize in

physics for his discovery of neutron.

Neutron is an electrically neutral particle having a mass

slightly greater than that of protons.
 Fundamental Sub-atomic Particles
Particle
Particle Symbol
Symbol Charge
Charge Mass
Mass
electron
electron -1
-1 0.0005486
0.0005486 amu
amu
proton
proton +1
+1 1.007276 amu
1.007276 amu
neutron 0 1.008665 amu
neutron 0 1.008665 amu
 HISTORY OF THE ATOM

1913 Niels Bohr

studied under Rutherford at the Victoria University

in Manchester.

Bohr refined Rutherford's idea by adding that the

electrons were in orbits. Rather like planets

orbiting the sun. With each orbit only able to
contain a set number of electrons.
MULTIELECTRON ATOMS
ELECTRONS IN ORBIT ABOUT
THE NUCLEUS
 Bohr’s Model of
the Atom (1913)
1. e- can have only specific
(quantized) energy values
2. light is emitted as e- moves
from one energy level to a
lower energy level

1
En = -RH ( )
n2

n (principal quantum number) = 1,2,3,…

RH (Rydberg constant) = 2.18 x 10-18J
The Bohr Model of the Atom
Atomic Structure
 The Bohr Model of the Atom:
Ground and Excited States
• In the Bohr model of hydrogen, the lowest amount
of energy hydrogen’s one electron can have
corresponds to being in the n = 1 orbit. We call this
its ground state.
• When the atom gains energy, the electron leaps to a
higher energy orbit. We call this an excited state.
• The atom is less stable in an excited state and so it
will release the extra energy to return to the ground
state.
– Either all at once or in several steps.
 Line Emission Spectrum of Hydrogen Atoms

Every element has a unique emission spectrum

 The Bohr Model of the Atom:
Hydrogen Spectrum
• Every hydrogen atom has identical orbits, so every
hydrogen atom can undergo the same energy
transitions.
• However, since the distances between the orbits in
an atom are not all the same, no two leaps in an
atom will have the same energy.
– The closer the orbits are in energy, the lower
the energy of the photon emitted.
– Lower energy photon = longer wavelength.
• Therefore, we get an emission spectrum that has a
lot of lines that are unique to hydrogen.
Atomic Structure
The Bohr Model of the Atom:
Hydrogen Spectrum
 Bohr showed the energy a H
atom can have is equal to:

1
En = -RH ( )
n2

Ephoton = DE = Ef - Ei
=2
1
Ef = -RH ( 2 )
nf
1
Ei = -RH ( 2 )
ni
1 1
DE = RH( 2 )
ni n2f
=3 RH is the Rydberg constant
n is the principal quantum number
Line spectrum of
some elements
 LIGHT EMISSION OF SODIUM ATOM

Line spectrum
 Atomic Structure
Neutral atoms have the same number of
protons and electrons.

Ions are charged atoms.

-cations – have more protons than
electrons and are positively charged
-anions – have more electrons than
protons and are negatively charged
An ion is formed when an atom, or group of atoms, has a
net positive or negative charge (why?).
If a neutral atom looses one or more electrons
it becomes a cation.

11 protons 11 protons
Na 11 electrons Na +
10 electrons

If a neutral atom gains one or more electrons

it becomes an anion.

17 protons 17 protons
Cl 17 electrons Cl- 18 electrons