The Development of Atomic

Theory

CHAPTER 11 SECTION 1
 Objectives

Describe some of the experiments that led to the

current atomic theory

Compare the different models of the atom

Explain how the atomic theory has changed as

scientists have discovered new information about the
atom
 Consider this quote…

“Color exists by convention, sweet by convention,

bitter by convention; in reality nothing exists but
atoms and the void.”

 What do you think this statement means?

 Who wrote it?

 The Beginning of the Atomic Theory

Ideas about atoms have changed over time

Democritus (Greek philosopher 460-370BCE): All

phenomena in nature could be understood in terms
of the movement of particles called atoms.

Greek word atomos meaning “not able to be divided”

Atoms are small, hard particles, made of a single

material formed into different shapes & sizes
 Democritus

Ideas sharply contrasted those of Aristotle who

thought that all matter could only be reduced to a
combination of: earth, water, air, and fire

Only fragments of Democritus’ writings survived

http://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/Democritus.jpg
 The Atom

The smallest particle into which an element can be

divided and still be the same substance

http://www.scienceclarified.com/images/uesc_02_img0063.jpg
 Dalton’s Atomic Theory

Late 1700’s: elements combine in certain

proportions based on mass to form compounds

Dalton experimented with different substances

In 1803, Dalton published his atomic theory

 All substances are made of atoms
 Atoms of the same element are exactly alike
 Atoms join with other atoms to make new substances

*The modern atomic theory began to develop from here…

 Thomson’s Discovery of Electrons

In 1897, Thomson pointed out errors in Dalton’s

theory…

There are small particles inside an atom

Experimented with a cathode-ray tube

 Positively charged plate attracted the beam
 Negatively charged particles called electrons are present in
every kind of atom
 Thomson’s Cathode-Ray Tube

http://www.hcc.mnscu.edu/chem/abomb/Thomson_ExpBoth.jpg
 Thomson’s Plum Pudding Model

New model for atoms containing electrons

“Like plums in pudding”

https://reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com/file/view/Thomson1.jpg
 New ideas: Rutherford’s Atomic “Shooting
Gallery”

In 1909, Rutherford tested Thomson’s theory

He designed an experiment to study the parts of an

atom

Gold-foil experiment
 Aimed a beam of positively charged particles at a gold foil
 A special coating behind the foil glowed
 Particles were deflected unexpectedly
 Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment

http://www.wardfam.com/~marshall/Chapter%203/Chapter%203_files/image004.jpg
 Where are the electrons?

In 1911, Rutherford revised the atomic theory

The center of the atom is tiny, very dense, positively

charged: nucleus

He calculated that the diameter of the nucleus was

about 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of
the gold atom

http://faculty.virginia.edu/consciousness/images/rutherford%20model.gif
 Bohr’s Electron Levels

In 1913, Niels Bohr studied the way that atoms react
to light

Electrons move around the nucleus in certain paths

or energy levels

http://www.humanthermodynamics.com/Atom_diagram.jpg
 Cartoon humor…

http://www.cs.utah.edu/~draperg/cartoons/jb/bohring.gif
 Modern Atomic Theory

20th century scientists: Schrödinger & Heisenberg

Further explained the nature of electrons in the atom

Electrons do not travel in definite paths as Bohr

suggested

Path of an electron cannot be predicted

 “electron clouds”
 Electron-Cloud Model

http://www.csmate.colostate.edu/cltw/cohortpages/viney_off/atom.jpg
 Quick Quiz

What error did Thompson find in Dalton’s atomic

theory?

What is the name for Thompson’s model of the

atom?

What is the current model of the atom called?