History of the Atom
Scientists and Their Contribution to
the Model of an Atom
History of the Atom - Timeline
1766 – 1844
Antoine Lavoisier
Thomson
makesJ.J.
a substantial
the
number discovers
of contributions
electron
and
to the
field of
proposes the
Chemistry
Plum Pudding
Model 1871
in 1897
– 1937
Niels Bohr
proposes
the Bohr
Model in
1913
1887 – 1961
James
Chadwick
discovered
the neutron
in in 1932
1700s
1800s
1900s
460 – 370 BC
0
Democritus
proposes
the 1st atomic
theory
1743 – 1794
Erwin
John Dalton
Ernest Rutherford
Schrodinger
proposes performs
his
the Gold Foil
describes
1891 – 1974
atomic theory
Experiment
in
in 1909
the electron
1803
cloud in 1926
1885 – 1962
Click on picture for more information
1856 – 1940
Democritus
(460 BC – 370 BC)
• Proposed an Atomic Theory
(Atomos or Atomon) (along
with his mentor Leucippus)
which states:
– all atoms are small, hard,
indivisible and indestructible
particles made of a single
material
– Can be rearranged to form
different shapes and sizes.
• Aristotle did not support his
atomic theory
Image taken from: https://reichchemistry.wikispaces.com/T.+Glenn+
Time+Line+Project
Antoine Lavoisier
(1743 – 1794)
Image taken from:
www.ldeo.columbia.edu/.../v1001/geo
time2.html
 Known as the “Father of Modern
Chemistry”
 Was the first person to generate a list of
thirty-three elements in his textbook
 Discovered / proposed that combustion
occurs when oxygen combines with other
elements
 Discovered / proposed the Law of
Conservation of Mass (or Matter) which
states, in a chemical reaction, matter is
neither created nor destroyed
 Devised the metric system
 Was married to a 13-year old Marie-Anne
Pierette Paulze; she assisted him with
much of his work
 Was a tax-collector that was
consequently guillotined during the
French Revolution
John Dalton
(1766 – 1844)
 In 1803, proposed an Atomic Theory
which states:
o All substances are made of atoms;
atoms are small particles that
cannot be created, divided, or
destroyed.
o Atoms of the same element are
exactly alike, and atoms of
different elements are different
o Atoms join with other atoms to
make new substances
 Calculated the atomic weights of many
various elements
 Was a teacher at a very young age
 Was color blind
Image taken from:
chemistry.about.com/.../JohnDalton.htm
J.J. Thomson
(1856 – 1940)
Image taken from:
www.wired.com/.../news/2008/04/d
ayintech_0430
 Proved that an atom can be divided
into smaller parts
 While experimenting with cathoderay tubes, discovered “corpuscles”,
which were later called electrons
 Stated that the atom is neutral
 In 1897, proposed the Plum Pudding
Model which states that atoms
mostly consist of positively charged
material with negatively charged
particles (electrons) located
throughout the positive material
 Won a Nobel Prize, 1906
Ernest Rutherford
(1871 – 1937)





In 1909, performed the Gold Foil
Experiment and suggested the following
characteristics of the atom:
o An atom consists of a small core, or
nucleus, that contains most of the mass
of the atom
o This nucleus is made up of particles
called protons, which have a positive
charge
o The protons are surrounded by
negatively charged electrons, but most
of the atom is actually empty space
o Rutherford’s model was called the
“planetary model”
Did extensive work on radioactivity (alpha
& beta particles, gamma rays/waves) and
was referred to as the “Father of Nuclear
Physics”
Won a Nobel Prize, 1908
Was a student of J.J. Thomson
Was on the New Zealand $100 bill
Image taken from:
http://www.scientificweb.com/en/Physics/Biographies/Er
nestRutherford.html
Marie Curie
Marie Curie
(1867 – 1934)
 Pioneered the science of
radiology & study of
radioactive decay
 Developed methods for
the separation of
radium from its ore
 Promoted use of radium
to alleviate soldier’s
suffering
 referred to as the
“Mother of Modern
Physics”
 Won a Nobel Prize, 1903
 Discovered the element
Polonium
Lise Meitner
(1878– 1968)
 Collaborated with Otto
Hahn in the study of
chemistry, Hahn won Nobel
Prize for their work
 Einstein referred to her as
the “German Marie Curie”
 In 1939, co-discovered
(with Hahn) nuclear fission,
proving the atom could be
broken down into subatomic particles
Niels Bohr
(1885 – 1962)
 In 1913, proposed the Bohr
Model, which suggests that:
 electrons travel around the nucleus
of an atom in orbits or definite
paths.
 electrons can jump from a path in
one level to a path in another level
(depending on their energy)
Image taken from:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ni
els_Bohr.jpg
 Won a Nobel Prize, 1922
 Worked with Ernest Rutherford
Louis de Broglie
(1892-1987)
• In 1924, presented
research that led to the
development the theory
of Wave Mechanics also
called Quantum Theory
or Quantum Mechanics**
• transformed knowledge of
physical phenomena on
the atomic scale.
• Won Nobel Prize, 1929
Werner Heisenberg
(1901-1976)
• Studied plasma physics,
atomic physics and
thermonuclear processes
• Won Nobel prize, 1932
• Famous for Heisenberg
Uncertainty Principle –
electrons do NOT travel in
neat orbits
• 1925-Introduced Theory of
Quantum Mechanics* to
explain behaviors of
electrons and other
subatomic particles
Erwin Schrodinger
(1887-1961)
• In 1926, he further explained
the nature of electrons in an
atom by stating that:
– the exact location of an electron
cannot be stated; therefore, it is
more accurate to view the electrons
in regions called electron clouds;
electron clouds are places where
the electrons are likely to be found
• Did extensive work on the Wave
formula  Schrodinger equation
• Won a Nobel Prize, 1933
Image taken from:
nobelprize.org/.../1933/schrodinger
-bio.html
James Chadwick
(1891 – 1974)
 Realized that the atomic mass of
most elements was double the
number of protons  discovery
of the neutron in 1932
 Worked on the Manhattan
Project
 Worked with Ernest Rutherford
 Won a Nobel Prize, 1935
Image taken from:
www.wired.com/.../news/2009/02/d
ayintech_0227
Murray Gell-Mann
(1929 – )
• Won the Nobel Prize,
1969
• In 1964 proposed that
protons and neutrons
were made up of subsubatomic particles
called “quarks”
– Can never be isolated
– There are up quarks
and down quarks
Progression of the Atomic Model
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The structure of an atom, according to:
Electron Cloud
Democritus
James
Ernest
Erwin
Neils
Schrodinger
Chadwick
Rutherford
Bohr&
J.J.
Thomson
John Dalton