Post on 04-Jan-2016
Atomic Theory
Ancient Greeks
• Democritus’ idea (theory) was: All matter is made of small pieces that cannot be divided any smaller.
• The word ATOM means “indivisible”
Just an idea, no “picture” of what the atom looks like.
Dalton’s Theory
Theory: All matter is made up of individual particles called atoms, which cannot be created, divided, or destroyed. (sound familiar?)
Features:
1. Solid, no “insides”.
2. Atoms of the same element are exactly alike.
(1803)
Thomson’s Theory
Theory: Atoms CAN be divided into smaller pieces. [“Chocolate Chip Cookie Model”]
Feature:
1.Discovered the negatively charged ELECTRON.
(1897)
electrons
Rutherford’s Theory
Theory: Atoms are mostly empty space.[Gold Foil Experiment]
Feature: Proved that atom has POSITIVELY charged NUCLEUS
The Gold Foil Experiment (He shot a stream of positive particles at piece of gold foil- most went straight through and only a few bounced back- this proved that atoms were mostly EMPTY SPACE, the ones that bounced had hit a small solid center, the nucleus.)
(1911)
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nucleus
Gold Foil Experiment
Thomson
Rutherford
Bohr’s Theory
Theory: Electrons move around outside the nucleus in specific patterns called ENERGY LEVELS.
Feature: Electrons orbit around nucleus in specific paths, just like planets around the Sun in the solar system.
(1913)
What does this remind you of?
Energy levels
Electron Cloud (Quantum) Model
Theory: Predicts where electrons MAY be located in an atom. [*Closest to what we think the atom is today!*]
Feature: Cannot know exactly where the electrons are at any time, they are “in the cloud”.
(1926)
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Electrons anywhere at any time
THE BIG IDEA
As technology has improved, our idea of the ATOM has changed over time.
(our models have gotten better!)
Video Links
• History of Atomic Theory Song – Veritasium
• The History of Atomic Chemistry: Crash Course Chemistry #37