September 15, 2010

Bill Nguyen

Banning

Chemistry

History of Atomic Theory

Since Democritus introduced the Atomic Theory. Researchers have developed the

curiosity to discover and expand their knowledge about how things work at the Atomic level.

This paper introduces many great contributors to the Atomic Theory.

Democritus

An ancient Greek Philosopher that contributed on proposing an Atomic hypothesis.

Leucippus (mentor) and Democritus stated everything in this Universe is composed as “atoms”.

This is indivisible and invisible to the naked eye. Atoms are always in motion and differ in

shape and sizes

John Dalton

An English chemist and physicist, born on the 6th of September 1766. In 1803 Dalton

noted that oxygen and carbon is used to make a compound. The weight ratio was (1:33:1 to

2:66:1), but it stays constant for the Carbon. This led to the Discovery of Multiple Proportions.

J.J. Thomson

Scientist believed that atoms were indivisible until 1897 J.J. Thomson proved them

otherwise when we discovered that atoms contained particles called electrons. He discovered

electrons through the use of cathode rays. His experiment also known as the plum pudding
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model, he shot charged particle out the cathode (negative terminal) and it was attracted to the

anode (positive terminal) of the vacuumed tube.

Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford published that his atomic theory describing that all atoms have a

central positive body is made up of positive and negative particles while negative particles

surrounds the nucleus. Rutherford results followed with his famous Gold Foil Model. This

experiment involved firing particles through a thin metal foil, while surrounded by screens

coated with zinc. Most of the particles shot straight through, but some of the particles manage to

be deflected in many directions, even back at the Ray itself.

Niels Bohr

Bohr was a Danish physicist who made fundamental contributions to the Atomic

Theory, with his discovery of the Bohr Model. The model states that electrons travel through

energy levels and that if they move to a lower level. Light is emitted. Bohr was part of the

Manhattan Project that aided in the development of the Atomic Bomb.

Many of these men have greatly contributed to the Atomic Theory. It started as a simple

theory that developed in to the splitting of an atom which led to the United States Victory over

WWII. Even though it took centuries of research scientist is yet to satisfy their curiosity to the

Atomic Theory.
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Sources

http://www.nndb.com/people/278/000049131/

http://dl.clackamas.edu/ch104-04/dalton%27s.htm

http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95oct/nbohr.html

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1908/rutherford-bio.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Bohr