LESSON 4

NOT INDIVISIBLE
The Structure of the Atom
➢ The smallest unit of matter as recognized by
chemical properties of molecules.
➢ composed of protons, neutrons and
electrons.
➢ very small; typical sizes are around 100
picometers (a ten-billionth of a meter, in the
short scale)
➢ is the small, dense region consisting of protons
and neutrons at the center of an atom

➢ discovered in 1911 by Ernest Rutherford based

on the 1909 Geiger– Marsden gold foil
experiment.
➢The spontaneous decay of atomic nuclei.

➢During radioactivity, alpha particles, beta-

rays and gamma rays are emitted.
■ There are various basic elements from
which all matter is made
■ Everything is composed of small atoms
moving in a void
■ Some atoms are round, pointy, oily, have
hooks, etc. to account for their properties
■ Ideas rejected by leading
philosophers because
void = no existence
460 – 370B.C.
■sometimes known as the
BILLIARD BALL
■concept of the atom, wherein
the atom is an incredibly small
but smooth and whole object.
■He is known for his idea
of the random movement
of microscopic particles
or "Brownian motion."
■Introduced his ideas in
1803 that each element
is composed of
extremely small
particles called atoms
PROPONENT
“BILLIARD BALL”
■This model suggested that MODEL
atoms:
■ are the smallest particle of an
element
■ of different elements have
different masses
■ are solid, indestructible units.
■Conceptualized
following cathode ray
experiments
■First model to use idea
of subatomic particles
PROPONENT 1897
■published the idea that electricity was in
particles that were part of the atom.
■Experimenting with cathode rays, he
established the mass and charge properties of
these particles.
■These particles were named electrons
PROPONENT 1904
“PLUM PUDDING”
■ he came up with the plum-pudding
model, which was an idea of what the
MODEL
atom looked like based on his
experiments.
■ He would later conclude that the
electron was not the only source of
mass in the atom.
■ This implied that the atom was
composed of other particles.
 J. J. THOMSON IDEA OF AN ATOM
Thomson Actual
“Plum Pudding” Model Plum Pudding
J. J. THOMSON IDEA OF AN ATOM

Cathode Ray TubeExperiment

■a student of Thomson
■He concluded that
radioactivity occurred due
to changes on a subatomic
level, or changes within the
atom itself.
PROPONENT

■ Rutherford later concluded that the

nucleus was composed of positive
particles known as protons
■ Has a nucleus
■ Conceptualized following α-particle
experiments
ERNEST RUTHERFORD IDEA OF AN ATOM

Gold Foil Experiment

■proposed that the
electrons “jumped”
between energy levels
PROPONENT BOHR
■ electrons travel in defined circular MODEL
orbits around the nucleus.
■ The orbits are labeled by an
integer, the quantum number n.
■ Electrons can jump from one orbit
to another by emitting or
absorbing energy.
QUANTUM MODEL
• Has a nucleus
• Has energy levels or quanta
• Explains why electrons
don’t fall into the nucleus
• Has idea of orbitals
Quantum model
■ was a student of Rutherford’s
who built on this possibility in
1926.
■ He worked on radiation emitted
by beryllium that took the form
of particles heavy enough to
displace protons.
■ These particles were as heavy as
protons, but they needed to have a
neutral charge that would allow them to
smash into the nucleus without being
repelled by electrons or protons. He
confirmed their existence by measuring
their mass
■ and called them NEUTRONS
JAMES CHADWICK
Gold Foil Experiment
What Does
an A t o m
REALLYLook
Like?
 Here are a few atoms using Scanning Transmission Electron
Microscopy Single Atom Spectroscopy

Here is how the hydrogen orbits look like using a photoionization quantum microscope Hydrogen
Atoms under Magnification: Direct Observation of the Nodal Structure of Stark States
 Ateam of researchers from China’s National Center for Nanoscience & Technology and Renmin
University have utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to produce a high-resolution image of atoms
reaching out to make a link with each other.

Research paper: DOI: 10.1126/science.1242603 – “Real-Space Identification of Intermolecular Bonding with Atomic
Force Microscopy” (paywall)
 SEATWORK
Sub-atomic through the…
is discovered by
Particle of an Atom (what kind of experiment)

cathode RAY
CATHODE ray tube
TUBE
Electron J. J.J
J. THOMSON
Thomson EXPERIMENT
experiment
Ernest
ERNEST gold FOIL
GOLD foil
Proton RUTHERFORD EXPERIMENT
Rutherfor experimen
James
JAMES d
CHADWICK goldt foil
GOLD FOIL EXPERIMENT W/
BERYLLIUM
Neutron
Chadwick
z
experimenz
ATTRIBUTE OF THE ATOMIC ATOMIC MODEL
MODEL DALTON THOMSON RUHTERF
ORD
BOHR QUANTUM

• Conceptualized following
/
cathode ray experiments
• Has a nucleus / / /
• Has energy levels or quanta / /
• Conceptualized following α-
/
particle experiments
• Explains why electrons
/ /
don’t fall into the nucleus
• Has idea of orbitals /
• First model to use idea of
/
subatomic particles