Greek philosophers Democritus and

Leucippus developed the idea that all

matter is composed of tiny, indivisible
particles called atoms. However, their
atomic theory was based only on
assumptions. It was not until the early
1800s that experiments were performed
to develop models for the structure of
the atom.
In 1803, John Dalton, a British scientist, did
experiments on mixtures of gases. He studied how
the properties of individual gases affect the
properties of the mixtures of these gases. He
developed the hypothesis that the sizes of the
particles making up different gases must be
different. After several experiments, he concluded
that all matter is composed of spherical atoms,
which cannot be broken down into smaller pieces.
He added that all atoms of one element are
identical to each other but different from the atoms
of another element.
Discovery of the Subatomic Particles
The Electrons in the Plum Pudding Model

In 1897, Joseph John Thomson, a

British physicist, proposed an atomic model
known as the plum pudding model. His model
consisted of negatively charged particles (plum)
spread evenly throughout the positively charged
material (pudding). The small, negatively
charged particles are called electrons.
The Protons in the Planetary Model

In the early 1900s, Ernest Rutherford, a

New Zealand-born physicist, established the
planetary model which described the atom as small,
dense, and has a positively charged core called the
nucleus. Inside the nucleus are positively charged
particles called the protons. The nucleus is
surrounded by negatively charged particles or
electrons. The electrostatic attraction between
electrons and nucleus mimics the gravitational force
of attraction between planets and the sun.
The Neutrons

In 1923, James Chadwick proved the

existence of the neutron, which is also
situated in the nucleus together with the
proton. It has the same mass as the proton but
unlike the latter, it has no electric charge.
Recent Atomic Models
Bohr’s Atomic Model
Rutherford’s model showed that the electrons and
nucleus have opposite charges which according to the
laws of physics, will attract each other. Thus,
Rutherford's model would have electrons collapsing
into the nucleus, making the atom unstable. Niels
Bohr solved this problem by proposing that the
electrons orbit around the nucleus in set energy levels.
An electron absorbs energy if it moves from lower to
higher energy level, and it emits energy if it returns to
the lower energy level.
Quantum Mechanical Model

The quantum mechanical model of the

atom states that a nucleus is surrounded by a
cloud of electrons called orbitals. It explains
that it is impossible to determine the exact
location of the electron at a given time, but one
can find its probable location. It incorporates the
concept of Bohr’s model where the electrons
move in one orbital to another by absorbing or
emitting energy.
Key Points
John Dalton described the atom as spherical.
Joseph John Thomson discovered the electron.
Ernest Rutherford proposed that the electrons orbit around
the nucleus. He, together with his students, discovered the
proton.
Niels Bohr proposed that electrons orbit around the nucleus in
set energy levels.
James Chadwick discovered the neutron.
Niels Bohr proposed that the electrons orbit around the
nucleus in set energy levels.
In the quantum mechanical model, the nucleus is surrounded by
a cloud of electrons called orbitals.