Daltons Theory did not explain why atoms bond as they do and did not account for the

charged particles
observed in various experiments

Date Name Discovery Postulate Experiment

1900 No name Cathode Rays Matter and electricity were High voltage source in evacuated
somehow related glass with metal electrodes lead
to a ray being seen after striking
phosphorus coated end
~1895 Antoine Radioactive Highly energetic rays that arose Expose thickly wrapped
Becquerel Particles spontaneously from uranium photographic plates to uranium
could not be deflected by magnet compounds caused them to
darken without cathode rays.
Three types of rays were produced
from the breakdown of uranium:
Alpha (α) rays (positive particles),
beta (β) rays (negative particles i.e
electrons) , and gamma rays (no
charge)
1897 J.J Thompson Mass/charge Atoms are divisible into even Used magnetic and electric fields
ratio of smaller particles to measure the ratio of cathode
cathode rays rays particle mass to its charge by
comparing with the mass/charge
ratio of other particles
1909 Robert Millikan Measure the Various charges of droplets were X-rays knocked electrons from gas
charge of an always some whole number molecules in air which stuck to
electron multiple so the minimum charge positively charged oil droplets to
must be of the electrons give it a negative charge. Measure
themselves the mass of the droplet.
1910 Ernest Radioactive Minor deflections of alpha Thin foils of gold and other metals
Rutherford emissions of particles based on Thompson were targeted with alpha particles
particles plum pudding model (atoms from a radioactive source. If the
from atoms were spherical positive matter plum pudding theory was correct
of certain with negative charged electrons only minor deflections would
elements were embedded uniformly). occur. However major deflections
Since the embedded electrons with some alpha particles coming
could not deflect the alpha back in the direction that the
particles (Did not happen) came from showed the positive
charge was not as diffuse as
Thompson proposed. Proposed a
new model for atom.