Chemistry - Copy of Lesson 6.6 - Theories of The Atom

6.
6 – Theories Of The
Atom
SNC1D1
Theories of the Atom
● A scientific theory is an expression of our best understandings

of a phenomenon, based on scientific evidence or reasoning.
● As technologies improve and new observations are gathered,
old theories become modified.
● When we begin to “connect the dots” of all the separate pieces
of data, we are able to expand and refine our scientific theory.
● This is true of our model of the structure of the atom.
The Evolution of the Atomic Theory
● Around 400 BCE, the Greek philosopher Democritus proposed

that all matter can be divided into smaller pieces until a single
indivisible particle is reached. He named this particle atom,
which means “cannot be cut”.
● Atom: the smallest unit of an element.
● He proposed that atoms are:
○ Of different sizes
○ In constant motion
○ Separated by empty spaces
Earth, Water, Air, and Fire: Aristotle(450 BCE)
● Another famous Greek philosopher,

Aristotle, rejected the idea of the atom.
● He supported the theory that all matter is
made up of four basic substances: earth,
water, air, and fire. These substances were
thought to have four specific qualities: dry,
wet, cold, and hot. Aristotle’s theory of the
structure of matter was accepted for
almost 2000 years.
The Billiard Ball Model
● In 1807, John Dalton, an English scientist and teacher, revived

Democritus’ theory.
● Dalton proposed that
○ All matter is made up of tiny, indivisible particles called
atoms.
○ All atoms of an element are identical
○ Atoms of different elements are different
○ Atoms are rearranged to form new substances in chemical
reactions, but they are never created or destroyed.
The Billiard Ball Model
● Dalton’s model is known as the billiard ball
model. This model was useful because it
could explain many properties of matter.
● Dalton believed that pure gold samples from
different locations had identical properties
because the samples contained identical
atoms.
● However, this model could not explain why
some objects attract each other, while other
objects repel each other. Ex. Rubbing a balloon
in your hair causes your hair to be attracted to
the balloon.
Thomson’s Experiments – The Electron
● In 1897, J.J. Thomson discovered that extremely small negatively charged
particles could be emitted by very hot materials.
● These particles were attracted to the positive end of a circuit. Positive
charges and negative charges attract each other, therefore Thomson
concluded that the particles must be negatively charged.
● These particles were later called electrons.
● Electrons: a negatively charged particle in an atom.
● Thomson theorized that:
○ Atoms contain negatively charged electrons
○ Since atoms are neutral, the rest of the atom is a positively charged
sphere
○ Negatively charged electrons are evenly distributed throughout the
atom.
Thomson’s Model
● Thomson’s model was called the “plum pudding” because the

electrons embedded in an atom resembled the raisins in a
plum pudding.
Positively charged “pudding”

surrounds the negatively
charged “raisins”.
The Gold Foil Experiment – The Nucleus and
the Proton
● In 1909, Ernest Rutherford supervised an experiment
to test Thomson’s model of the atom.
● He predicted that if positive and negative charges
were uniformly distributed throughout atoms, then
tiny positively charged particles shot at a thin piece
of gold foil would pass through the foil. Some of the
particles might be slowed down or deflected at very
small angles.
● When the experiment was performed, most of the
particles were deflected at very large angles, as
though something very massive but very small was
repelling them.
Rutherford Model
● Rutherford reasoned that these large deflections were caused

by a collision with a small, concentrated, positively charged
central mass inside the atom.
● In Rutherford’s revised model,
○ The centre of the atom has a positive charge. This centre is
called the nucleus. It contains most of the atom’s mass but
occupies a very small space. The nucleus is what made
some particles bounce back during the experiment.
○ The nucleus is surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged
electrons.
○ Most of the atom is empty space.
Rutherford’s Model
● Rutherford also discovered the cloud in 1920.

● Proton: a positively charged particle that is found in the atom’s
nucleus.
● Measurements of atomic mass showed that protons alone
could not account for the total mass of a nucleus, given the
amount of their charge.
● Rutherford predicted that there must be a third particle in the
nucleus that had about the same mass as the proton but that
was a neutral charge.
Chadwick’s Experiments – The Neutron
● In 1932, James Chadwick, Rutherford’s student, found a particle that
could penetrate and disintegrate atoms with extraordinary power.
● Unlike positively charged protons, these particles have zero charge.
Therefore, these particles are neutral.
● Based on this discovery, Chadwick proposed that
○ An atom must be an empty sphere with a tiny dense central nucleus.
○ This nucleus contains positively charged protons and neutral particles
called neutrons.
○ The mass of a neutron is about the same as a proton.
○ Negatively charged electrons circle rapidly through the empty space
around the nucleus.
○ A neutral atom has the same number of protons as electrons.
● This model of the atom is called the planetary model

Electron Orbits
● Niels Bohr, a Danish scientist, studied the hydrogen atom and the light it
produces when it is excited by thermal energy or electricity.
● When white light is shone through a prism, a full rainbow of colours is seen.
When light produced by hydrogen is examined in the same way, only a few
lines of colour are seen.
Bohr Model
● In 1913, Bohr used this evidence to propose the following
theory:
○ Electrons orbit the nucleus of the atom much like how the
planets orbit the sun.
○ Each electron in an orbit has a definite amount of energy.
○ The farther the electron is from the nucleus, the greater its
energy.
○ Electrons cannot be between orbits, but they can jump to
and from different orbits. They release energy as light when
they jump from higher or lower orbits. This energy is the
light Bohr observed in his experiments.
○ Each orbit can hold a certain maximum number of
electrons. The maximum number of electrons in the first,
second, and third orbits is 2, 8, and 8.
Bohr-Rutherford Model
● This model of the atom is known as

the Bohr-Rutherford model because
it is the product of the ideas of these
two scientists. This model is useful
for explaining the properties of the
first 20 elements.
● This is a useful model because of its
simplicity.
Understandings the Models
Homework
● Page 233 #7
● Complete the Atomic Theory Worksheet

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6.

● A scientiﬁc theory is an expression of our best understandings

● Around 400 BCE, the Greek philosopher Democritus proposed

● Another famous Greek philosopher,

● In 1807, John Dalton, an English scientist and teacher, revived

● Thomson’s model was called the “plum pudding” because the

Positively charged “pudding”

● Rutherford reasoned that these large deﬂections were caused

● Rutherford also discovered the cloud in 1920.

● This model of the atom is called the planetary model

● This model of the atom is known as

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