Atomic Theory

Development

What is Todays Model?

Dense, Positively
Charged Nucleus

Mostly
Empty
Space

Composed of Protons,
Neutrons, and Electrons

Negatively
Charged
Electron Cloud

Most Probable
Location of the
Electrons

Timeline of Development of Current

Atomic Model
Discovery
of the
Neutron

Discovery
of the
Proton
450 BC

Democritus
proposed
the idea of
atomos.

1802

Beginning
of
Modern
Atomic
Theory

1897

1911 1913 1930

Discovery
of the
Nucleus
Discovery
of the
Electron

Introduction
of the wave
mechanical
model

The Idea
of Energy
Levels for
Electrons
was
Proposed.

Early Greeks

Matter

is made of indestructible
particles called atomos

Democritus (400 BC)

Summary for Daltons

Atomic Theory
(Father of the Modern Atomic Theory)

All atoms of a single element have the

same mass
Atoms of different elements are different.
Atoms cant be divided, created or
destroyed.
Atoms of different elements combine in
simple whole-number ratios to form
compounds.

Discovery of the Electron

In 1897, J.J. Thomson used a cathode ray tube to deduce the
presence of a negatively charged particle.

Crookes Tube

Cathode ray tubes pass electricity through a gas that is

contained at a very low pressure.
Cathode Ray

J.J. Thomson

He proved that atoms

of any element can be
made to emit tiny
negative particles.
From this he
concluded that ALL
atoms must contain
these negative
particles.

J.J. Thomson

He knew that atoms

did not have a net
negative charge and
so there must be
something positive
that balances the
negative charge.

William Thomsons (Sir Kelvin) Atomic Model (1910)

Thomson believed that the electrons were like plums embedded

in a positively charged pudding, thus it was called the plum
pudding model.

Ernest Rutherfords (1871-1937)

Where exactly are those electrons?

Thomsons Theory: Plum Pudding

electrons embedded in a positive pudding.

Rutherfords idea:
Shoot something at them to see where they
are.

Rutherfords has an idea

What if I shoot alpha radiation
at gold atoms in gold foil?
Discovery of the nucleus

Lead
bloc
k

Uranium

Flourescent
Screen

Gold Foil

He Expected
The alpha particles to pass through
without changing direction very
much.
Because
The positive charges were spread out
evenly. Alone they were not enough
to stop the alpha particles.

What he expected

Because

Because, he thought the mass

was evenly distributed in the
atom

Because, he
thought the mass
was evenly
distributed in the
atom

What he got

How he explained it
Atom is mostly empty.
Small dense,
positive
piece
at center.
Alpha particles
+
are deflected by
it if
they get close
enough.

Rutherfords Conclusion (1911)

Small, dense, positive nucleus.

Equal amounts of (-) electrons at large
distances outside the nucleus.

Neils Bohrs Atomic model (1913)

Small, dense, positive nucleus.

Equal amounts of (-) electrons at specific
orbits around the nucleus.

This incorrect version of the atom is often used to

represented atoms because it shows energy levels for
electrons.

** James Chadwick
discovered neutrons in 1932.
--n0 have no charge
and are hard to detect
-purpose
of n0 = stability of nucleus Chadwick

photo from liquid

H2 bubble

And now we know of

many other subatomic
particles:
quarks,
muons,
positrons,
neutrinos,
pions, etc.

Quantum Mechanical Model

-electron cloud model-charge cloud model-

Schroedinger, Pauli, Heisenberg, Dirac (up to 1940):

According to the QMM, we never know for certain
where the e are in an atom, but the equations of the
QMM tell us the probability that we will find an
electron at a certain distance from the nucleus.

Quantum Mechanical Model

Modern atomic theory describes the electronic

structure of the atom as the probability of finding
electrons within certain regions of space (orbitals).

Modern Atomic Theory

All matter is composed of atoms.
Atoms of the same element are chemically alike
with a characteristic average mass which is unique to
that element.
Atoms cannot be subdivided, created, or
destroyed in ordinary chemical reactions. However,
these changes CAN occur in nuclear reactions!
Atoms of any one element differ in
properties from atoms of another element
The exact path of electrons are unknown
and e-s are found in the electron cloud.

The Atomic
Scale
Most of the mass of the
atom is in the nucleus
(protons and neutrons)
Electrons are found
outside of the nucleus (the
electron cloud)
Most of the volume of the
atom is empty space
q is a particle called a quark

About Quarks
Protons and neutrons are
NOT fundamental particles.
Protons are made of
two up quarks and
one down quark.
Neutrons are made of
one up quark and
two down quarks.
Quarks are held together
by gluons

Size of an atom
Atoms are incredibly tiny.
Measured in picometers (10-12 meters)
Hydrogen atom, 32 pm radius
Nucleus tiny compared to atom
Radius of the nucleus near 10-15 m.
Density near 1014 g/cm3
IF the atom was the size of a stadium, the
nucleus would be the size of a marble.
California WEB

Models of the Atom

Daltons
Greek
model model
(400 B.C.) (1803)

1803 John Dalton

pictures atoms as
tiny, indestructible
particles, with no
internal structure.

1800

Thomsons plum-pudding
model (1897)

1897 J.J. Thomson, a British

scientist, discovers the electron,

leading to his "plum-pudding"
model. He pictures electrons
embedded in a sphere of
positive electric charge.

1805 ..................... 1895

1900

1905

1910

Rutherfords model
(1909)

1911 New Zealander

Ernest Rutherford states

that an atom has a dense,
positively charged nucleus.
Electrons move randomly in
the space around the nucleus.

1915

1904 Hantaro Nagaoka, a

Japanese physicist, suggests

that an atom has a central
nucleus. Electrons move in
orbits like the rings around Saturn.

orin, Demmin, Gabel, Chemistry The Study of Matter , 3rd Edition, 1990, page 125

1920

1925

Bohrs model
(1913)

1926 Erwin Schrdinger

1913 In Niels Bohr's

model, the electrons move

in spherical orbits at fixed
distances from the nucleus.

1930

1935

1924 Frenchman Louis

Charge-cloud model
(present)

1940

de Broglie proposes that

moving particles like electrons
have some properties of waves.
Within a few years evidence is
collected to support his idea.

develops mathematical
equations to describe the
motion of electrons in
atoms. His work leads to
the electron cloud model.

1945

1932 James

Chadwick, a British
physicist, confirms the
existence of neutrons,
which have no charge.
Atomic nuclei contain
neutrons and positively
charged protons.

Match The Models

Billiard
Ball

Plum
Pudding

Nucleus

Energy
Levels

Neutrons