Not Indivisible (The structure of the Atom)

• OBJECTIVES:

• Point out the main ideas in the discovery of the atom and its sub-
atomic particles.
• Cite the contributions of J.J Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, Henry
Moseley, and Neils Bohr to the understanding of the structure of the
atom.
• Can describe the nuclear model of the atom and the location of its
major components (protons, neutrons, and electrons).
4 Pictures, 1 Word
 Put star in the table that applicable to the atomic model of the following Scientist

Plumpudding Rutherford Bohr Chadwick

Or Thomson
Conceptualized following
cathode ray experiments

Has a nucleus
Has energy levels or quanta
Conceptualized following α-
particle experiments
Explains why electrons don’t
fall into the nucleus
Has idea of orbitals
First model to use idea of
subatomic particles
(others may be added)
The following are the important terms
and names :
• Billiard Ball- where in the atom is an incredibly
small but smooth and whole object.
• Joseph John “JJ” Thomson- later in 1897 he
published the idea that electricity was in particles
that were part of the atom. Experimenting with
cathode rays, he established the mass and charge
properties of these particles. This particles were
named electrons.
• Plum –pudding model- In 1904 JJ Thomson came up
this idea of what atom looked like based on his
experiments.
Thomson Plum- pudding model- sort
of cake with raisins embedded in it.
a student of Thomson’s, who was among
many who studied radioactivity. He
concluded that radioactivity occurred
due to changes on a subatomic level, or
changes within the atom itself.
Physicist Ernest Rutherford envisioned the atom as like a miniature solar system, with electrons orbiting around a
massive nucleus, and as mostly empty space, with the nucleus occupying only a very small part of the atom.
In 1911, Rutherford theorized that
the model proposed by Thomson did
not explain the deflection of alpha
particles. Therefore, he devised his
own model with a positive nucleus at
the center and electrons revolving like
planets at a distance around it.
Henry Moseley
• One of the brilliant students of Rutherford who made the first step in
a better understanding of Rutherford’s model by discovering the
physical meaning of electric charges of atomic nuclei for different
chemical elements. He conducted an experiment using x-rays to study
the sequence of chemical elements in Mendeleev’s periodic table.
This lead to the development of the concept of the atomic number,
which is the number of protons in the nucleus.
• He help to fine tune Mendeleev’s periodic table and create a more
coherent elemental organization
 another scientist in Rutherford’s laboratory. He
tackled one of the big issues with the Rutherford model
in 1913.
In the Bohr model of the atom, electrons travel
in defined circular orbits around the nucleus. The
orbits are labeled by an integer, the quantum
number n. Electrons can jump from one orbit to
another by emitting or absorbing energy.
Neil Bohr Model of Atom
James Chadwick
was a student of Rutherford’s who built on this
possibility in 1926. He worked on radiation
emitted by beryllium that took the form of
particles heavy enough to displace protons. These
particles were as heavy as protons, but they
needed to have a neutral charge that would allow
them to smash into the nucleus without being
repelled by electrons or protons. He confirmed
their existence by measuring their mass and
called them neutrons.
James Chadwick
• Three years after Neils Bohr released his atomic model, He discovered
neutron. After measuring an atom, he found out that there is a
missing particle. The missing particle is neutron which is uncharged
and specifically located in the nucleus of the atom.
Later on, Dmitri Mendeleev published a
periodic table of elements that ordered
elements according to their atomic weights. He
noted patterns in their properties that enabled
him to predict the discovery of other
elements. His table became the basis of the
modern PeriodicTable.
Many other scientists in the 19th
century discovered more elements,
thanks to Dalton’s
theory, Mendeleev’s table, and the
advent of improved analytical and
decomposition techniques. From
Lavoisier’s 33 elements, the century
ended with 82.
 Plumpudding Rutherford Bohr Chadwick
Or Thomson
Conceptualized following
cathode ray experiments
Has a nucleus
Has energy levels or
quanta
Conceptualized following
α-
particle experiments
Explains why electrons
don’t
fall into the nucleus
Has idea of orbitals
First model to use idea of
subatomic particles