Lesson 1 Constituents of The Atom

Constituents of the atom
Specification:
• Simple model of the atom, including the proton, neutron and

electron.
J.J. Thomson (1856-1940)
In 1897 J.J. Thomson discovered the electron. This is a tiny negatively

charged particle that is much, much smaller than any atom. He said that
the tiny negatively charged electrons must be embedded in a cloud of
positive charge. Thomson imagined the electrons as the bits of plum in a
plum pudding, rather like currants spread through a Christmas pudding.
Models of the atom
plum pudding model
Sphere of positive charge with

negative electrons embedded
throughout it.
plum pudding model nuclear model
Thomson’s ‘plum pudding’ model
Sphere of positive charge with negative
electrons embedded throughout it.
no concentration of charge at any
particular position
+VE: negative electrons dispersed

throughout a spherical lump of
continuous positive charge
-VE: volume of the atom has both
positive and negative particles
continuously distributed through it
Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937)
Ernest Rutherford
(1871-1937)
The next development came about

10 years later. Two of Ernest
Rutherford's students, Geiger and
Marsden, were doing an
experiment with radiation.
‘All science is either physics or stamp collecting’
In 1911, Ernest Rutherford interpreted these results and suggested a new

model for the atom. The positive charge must be concentrated in a tiny
volume at the centre of the atom. On this model, the electrons orbited
around the dense nucleus.
John Dalton (1766–1844)
He suggested that atoms were like tiny balls. An element is a

substance made from only one type of atom.
Procedure
Rutherford fired alpha particles through a piece of

gold foil and used a zinc sulphide detector to detect
the scattered alpha particles and their location.
Results…..
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Why use Why thin?

gold?
Thin gold as are easily

foils, typically absorbed.
250 atoms
thick, were
easy to make
and readily
available The
experiment
takes place
in a vacuum
to avoid
problems of
a absorption
by air
Rutherford alpha scattering experiment
Experiment
Results
Most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil undeviated
A few alpha particles were deflected from their path but continued through the gold foil
But about 1:8000 were turned through a large angle. The experiment takes place in a vacuum
to avoid problems of a absorption by air.
Conclusion
A small number of alpha particles had rebounded because they collided with something much
larger and heavier and which contains a concentrated region of positive charge.
The back scattering of αs through large angles implies (i) all the positive charge is concentrated
together
(ii) the mass of the concentrated positive charge must be quite a bit larger than of an α particle.
Rutherford assumed that (i) Coulomb’s Law was obeyed down to very small distances
(ii) most of the mass of the nucleus was concentrated into a very small volume – the nuclear
atom that resembles a miniature solar system
‘proof’’ that Coulomb’s Law is valid down to distances about the size of a nucleus
Conclusion
As a result of his observations, Rutherford suggested that
the atom had a positively charged centre which contained
most of the mass.
He called the
heavy positively
charged centre
the nucleus.
He went on to suggest that the nucleus was surrounded by

orbiting electrons required for electrical neutrality.
Conclusion
most of the mass.
He called the
heavy positively
charged centre
the nucleus.

Conclusion
most of the mass.
He called the
heavy positively
charged centre
the nucleus.

Conclusion
most of the mass.
He called the
heavy positively
charged centre
the nucleus.

Conclusion
most of the mass.
He called the
heavy positively
charged centre
the nucleus.

plum pudding model nuclear model
Thomson’s ‘plum pudding’ model Rutherford’s experiment
Sphere of positive charge with negative Why? Experiments on the absorption of
electrons embedded throughout it. b particles had also shown that
no concentration of charge at any sometimes the b particles were ‘back
particular position scattered’
Rutherford suggested that Geiger and
+VE: negative electrons dispersed Marsden should try looking for similar
throughout a spherical lump of behaviour with a particles
continuous positive charge
it was predicted that the as would
-VE: volume of the atom has both simply suffer a series of small
positive and negative particles deflections. They were expected to
continuously distributed through it travel more or less straight through the
absorber
because a particles are relatively

massive compared with electrons
The problem was that the positive charge of the atoms of gold was too spread out (in
Thompson’s model) to produce a strong deflection
Niels Bohr (1885-1962).
The next important development came in 1914 when Danish
footballer and physicist Niels Bohr revised the model again.
He suggested that the electrons must be orbiting the nucleus in
fixed shells.
The hydrogen atom

Sir James Chadwick 1891-1974
Accidentally applied to study Physics at University,
when Chadwick was released from a German
POW camp at the end of WW1 he worked with
Ernest Rutherford, discovered the Neutron and
contributed to the development of the atomic
bomb. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1935.
Discovery of the Neutron (1932)

The English scientist Thomson suggested that the atom, which is a neutral particle, was made
of positive charge with ‘lumps’ of negative charge inset in it - rather like the plums in a pudding.
For this reason it was known as the Plum Pudding theory of the atom.
Rutherford explained it this way. He knew that the alpha particles carried a positive charge so
he said that the positive charge of the atom was concentrated in one place that he called the
nucleus, and that the negatively charged particles, the electrons, were in orbit around the
nucleus. Most of the mass was in the nucleus
Rutherford’s prediction using the idea of Coulomb law repulsion was verified by experiment. It
also enables experimental values of nuclear charge to be obtained, ie atomic number.
They would not have been repelled so it is unlikely that any would ‘bounce back’. Some could
be absorbed by the nucleus.
The charge on the nucleus is much smaller so deflection would be smaller.
Small, massive and positive.

Modern measurements show that the average nucleus
has a radius in the order of 10-15 m. This is 100, 000
times smaller than the radius of a typical atom.
Sub-atomic particles properties
Mass Relative Charge Relative
Particle
(kg) Mass (C) Charge
Proton 1.67x10-27 1 +1.6x10-19 +1
Neutron 1.68x10-27 About 1 0 0
Electron 9.11x10-31 1/2000 -1.6x10-19 -1

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Constituents of the atom

• Simple model of the atom, including the proton, neutron and

In 1897 J.J. Thomson discovered the electron. This is a tiny negatively

Sphere of positive charge with

+VE: negative electrons dispersed

The next development came about

In 1911, Ernest Rutherford interpreted these results and suggested a new

He suggested that atoms were like tiny balls. An element is a

Rutherford fired alpha particles through a piece of

Why use Why thin?

Thin gold as are easily

He went on to suggest that the nucleus was surrounded by

He went on to suggest that the nucleus was surrounded by

He went on to suggest that the nucleus was surrounded by

He went on to suggest that the nucleus was surrounded by

He went on to suggest that the nucleus was surrounded by

because a particles are relatively

The hydrogen atom

Discovery of the Neutron (1932)

The charge on the nucleus is much smaller so deflection would be smaller.

Small, massive and positive.

Proton 1.67x10-27 1 +1.6x10-19 +1

Neutron 1.68x10-27 About 1 0 0

Electron 9.11x10-31 1/2000 -1.6x10-19 -1

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