Manifestations of the inner structure of 

matter 
Explanation of electrical 
phenomena: the atomic model 
 

Origins of atomic model 

1. Aristotle​: he supposed that matter was composed of basic substances called elements 
(air,earth,fire and water) THESE IDEAS PREVAILED OVER 2000 YEARS AND WERE THE 
BASIS OF KNOWLEDGE OF MATTER. 
2. Democritus​: he suggested that matter was formed by very small elementary particles that 
he named atoms,which are invisible, indivisible, indestructible and immutable throughout 
time. 
3. John Dalton​: The first atomic theory. Established that an atom could not be created, 
divided or destroyed and postulated his theory: ​an atom of an element is the smallest 
particle of that element and there are as many different kinds of atoms as elements. 
Atoms can be grouped to form molecules. 
4. Amadeo Avogadro​: he helped dissipate the confusion between what should be 
considered molecule and what doesn’t proposing that: ​the elementary particles of gases 
​ rom these studies 
were not formed by single atoms by added atoms called molecules. F
the concept of mole was originated(this number indicates de mass of a certain number of 
atoms,molecules or ions of matter) as well as Avogadro’s law,which states that: one mole 
of any element has the same number of atoms, or that one mole of a compound has the 
same number of molecules. 

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Atomic models 
Late XIX century and early XX 
1. Sir Joseph Thomson:​ 1904; he suggested that 
the atom was divisible. ​The atoms are constructed by a 
sphere of continuous charged matter positively, in which 
negatively charged particles (electrons), are in rusted, 
and whose mass is negligible, but in sufficient numbers as to neutralize 
the positive charge. 

2. Ernest Rutherford:​ 1911; after he repeated Thomson’s 

experiments, he proposed: ​the atom consisted of a small core with 
a very high density. Because of the high concentration of protons 
inside, their electric charge would be positive. The rest of the atom 
was mostly empty and, therefore, it could be penetrated by 
particles that did not suffer any 
deviation. 
● Atom electrically neutral 
● Planetary model  
● Limited because it could not 
explain some phenomena. 

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3. ​James Chadwick:​ 1932 with the help of Moseley (1913)that 

conducted several studies of X-ray spectra that suggested that 
within the core, in addition to protons, there should be some 
particles with mass similar to the proton, but uncharged, he 
proved the existence of neutrons. 

4. ​Niels Bohr:​ 1922 The first model based on the quantization of 
energy. 

This model overcame the difficulties of Rutherford’s, by stating that 

classical physics could not be applied to the atomic universe. This led 
him to formulate a new model involving the following: 

● The electrons describe circular orbits around the nucleus of 

the atom without radiating energy. 
● The electrons only emits or absorbs energy when it jumps 
from one permitted orbit to another. In this change it absorbs 
or emits a photon. 

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● The electron spins in certain allowed orbits and in which it has a fixed and definite energy.

Despite its considerable value for science, Bohr’s theory could not explain some phenomena that 
were presented in atoms with more than one electron.  

4. The quantum mechanical model.  

Thinking about electrons as probabilistic matter waves 

using the ​de Broglie​ wavelength, the ​Schrödinger​ equation, 
and the ​Heisenberg​ uncertainty principle. Electron spin and 
the ​Stern-Gerlach​ experiment. 

The quantum mechanical model is based on quantum 

theory, which says matter also has properties associated 
with waves. According to quantum theory, it’s impossible to know the exact 
position and momentum of an electron at the same time. This is known as 
the Uncertainty Principle. 
 
The quantum mechanical model of the atom uses complex shapes of orbitals 
(sometimes called electron clouds), volumes of space in 
which there is likely to be an electron. So, this model is 
based on probability rather than certainty. 

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