Atomic

models
JJ Thompson
JJ Thompson made the
“plum pudding model” as
he knew from his
experiments that atoms had
charge and mass. He
concluded from this that
atoms must contain smaller,
negatively charged
particles- electrons.
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest
Ernest Rutherford
Rutherford conducted
conducted the
the famous
famous gold
gold foil
foil
experiment. He fired alpha particles at an
experiment. He fired alpha particles at an
extremely
extremely thin
thin sheet
sheet of
of gold.
gold.

Most
Most of
of the
the alpha
alpha particles
particles went
went straight
straight through
through
the
the gold atoms and only a very small number were
gold atoms and only a very small number were
deflected
deflected backwards.
backwards. This
This meant
meant the
the plum
plum pudding
pudding
model
model could
could not
not be
be correct.
correct.

Rutherford
Rutherford then
then came
came up
up with
with the
the nuclear
nuclear model
model of
of
the
the atom.
atom. In
In this,
this, there’s
there’s aa tiny,
tiny, positively
positively charged
charged
nucleus
nucleus at
at the
the centre,
centre, surrounded
surrounded by by aa cloud
cloud of
of
negative electrons.
negative electrons.
Niels Bohr
Scientists
Scientists realised
realised that
that electrons
electrons in
in aa cloud
cloud would
would spiral
spiral down
down to
to the
the nucleus,
nucleus, causing
causing the
the
atom
atom to
to collapse.
collapse. Niels
Niels Bohr
Bohr then
then proposed
proposed aa new
new model
model ofof the
the atom
atom with
with four
four basic
basic
principles:
principles:

When
When anan electron
electron
moves between
moves between Because
Because thethe
Electron
Electron can
can only
only shells
shells energy
energy of shells is
of shells is
Each
Each shell
shell has
has aa
exist in fixed
exist in fixed electromagnetic
electromagnetic fixed, the
fixed, the
fixed
fixed energy
energy
shells
shells radiation
radiation will
will radiation
radiation will
will have
have
either be emitted
either be emitted aa fixed frequency
fixed frequency
or
or absorbed
absorbed

Other
Other scientists
scientists realised
realised not
not all
all electrons
electrons in
in each
each shell
shell had
had the
the same
same energy,
energy, so
so they
they
refined
refined this
this to
to include
include sub-shells.
sub-shells.

This
This model
model now
now explained
explained why
why the
the noble
noble gases
gases are
are inert.
inert. Bohr
Bohr said
said each
each shell
shell can
can only
only
hold
hold fixed
fixed numbers
numbers of
of electrons,
electrons, so
so when
when an
an atom
atom has
has full
full shells
shells it’s
it’s stable
stable and
and does
does
not
not react.
react.
There’s more than one model
being used today…
Other
Other scientists
scientists realised
realised not
not all
all electrons
electrons in
in each
each shell
shell had
had the
the same
same energy,
energy, so
so
they
they refined
refined this
this to
to include
include sub-shells.
sub-shells.

This
This model
model now
now explained
explained why
why the
the noble
noble gases
gases are
are inert.
inert. Bohr
Bohr said
said each
each shell
shell can
can
only
only hold
hold fixed
fixed numbers
numbers of
of electrons,
electrons, so
so when
when an
an atom
atom has
has full
full shells
shells it’s
it’s stable
stable
and
and does
does not
not react.
react.

We
We now
now know
know that
that the
the refined
refined Bohr
Bohr model
model is
is
not perfect, but it is still widely used to
not perfect, but it is still widely used to Scientists
Scientists therefore
therefore use
use whichever
whichever model
model is
is
describe
describe atoms
atoms as
as it
it is
is simple
simple and
and explains
explains relevant to what they're investigating.
relevant to what they're investigating.
many observations from experiments.
many observations from experiments.
 Exam Questions
1. Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow
In 1911 Ernest Rutherford proposed a new model of the atom based on observations of the behaviour of atoms made by
his students two years earlier. He said that atoms consisted of small, positively charged nucleus around which negative
electrons orbited. Scientists predicted that as electrons orbited the nucleus they would emit radiation with a continuous
range of frequencies. This was tested and it was found that atoms emitted only certain fixed frequencies of radiation. In
1915 Niels Bohr proposed a model of the atom in which electrons were constrained to fixed orbits and could not exist
anywhere in between.

a) Why did Rutherford think that a new model of the atom was needed?
In order to explain the observations made during his student’s experiments.

b) Why is Bohr’s model thought to be a truer description of the atom than

Rutherford’s?
(1) The Bohr model gives a better explanation of the observations
(2) Of the frequencies of radiation emitted by atoms.

c) More accurate models of the atom have been developed since the Bohr model.
Explain why the Bohr model is still used today.
The more accurate models are very complicated/
The Bohr model is still useful for explaining most observations.
The Ca2+ has the same electronic configuration as an argon atom, whilst the Ca+
ion has the electronic configuration identical to that of a potassium atom.

a) Which of these two ions is most stable?

Ca2+ is more stable.

b) How do atomic models help to explain the relative stability of these ions?
(1) Atomic models predict that full electron shells are most stable.
(2) Since Ca2+ has full electron shells (noble gas electronic configuration) it should be
more stable than Ca+ which does not.