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ATOM AND ATOMIC THEORY

Humans have always been fascinated with everything around him/her. This sense of

wonder led many people to different discoveries that later on, became the foundation of a

particular discipline. The discovery of the atom is no exception to this. The basic understanding

of the atoms is one of the foundation of chemistry. An atom is the basic unit of an element that

can enter into chemical combination (Chang 43).

The atomic theory on the other hand, provides explanation on the nature of matter, as

explained by the nature and behavior of atoms. Different scientists contributed to the present

atomic theory.

Democritus

Democritus, in the fifth century B.C., stated that matter is composed of small

“indivisible” particles which he called atomos. His idea was not accepted by his colleagues,

but the idea somehow, lasted for some time.

John Dalton

John Dalton was an English scientist and teacher. In the year 1808, he proposed a

precise definition of atoms stated in his atomic theory. The theory explained that elements are

composed of atoms, and that atoms of the same element are identical but differs from another

element. He also defined compounds being composed of atoms of more than one element, and

that atoms cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction but simply arranged.

Joseph John Thompson and Robert Millikan

J.J. Thompson, in his cathode ray experiment, discovered the existence of the electron.

Chang, Raymond. Chemistry: Tenth Edition. McGraw Hill, 2010.

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Robert Millikan on the other hand, was able to determine with precision, the charge of the

electron during his experiments between the years 1908-1917. The charge is -1.6022x10^-19.

Two features of the atom

Wilhelm Roentgen

W. Roentgen discovered X-rays by noticing that cathode rays caused metals and glass

to emit very unusual rays.

Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford together with Hans Geiger and Ernest Mardsen conducted several

experiments using thin gold foils that measures the scattering of alpha particles which led to

the discovery of the nucleus and positively charged proton.

James Chadwick

In the year 1932, Chadwick discovered the third sub-atomic particle which he called

neutron. He discovered this through is experiment using thin beryllium sheet, which he

bombarded with alpha particles. His discovery became the reason why mass ratio can now be

understood.

For the concept of matter to be understood, it is important to get a grasp of the basics.

The discoveries of these scientists is the foundation of the modern atomic theory. These

important discoveries are milestones for the present understanding of the nature of matter.

Chang, Raymond. Chemistry: Tenth Edition. McGraw Hill, 2010.