ROGELIO EDUARDO GORDILLO VEGA

177681 QFB ENGLISH II 1A

ATOMIC STRUCTURE HISTORY

INTRODUCTION
Over time, various scientists have devoted most of their studies to the structure atomic.
All matter is made up of atoms. This is something we now take as a given and it is the starting
point for the study of its structure and its main components and characteristics. Our ideas
about what an atom is are surprisingly recent: as little as one hundred years ago, scientists
were still debating what exactly an atom looked like. The history of atomic structure and
quantum mechanics dates to the times of Democritus, the man who first proposed that matter
is composed of atoms. The study about the structure of an atom gives a great insight into the
entire class of chemical reactions, bonds, and their physical properties. The advances in
atomic structure and quantum mechanics have led to the discovery of other fundamental
particles. The discovery of subatomic particles has been the base for many other discoveries
and inventions. There are several characters, including physicists, chemists and a minority
philosopher who have contributed from the initial concept of the atom to its structure and
characteristics, in this text the 8 main contributions of the atomic structure will be analyzed.

DEVELOPMENT
The concept of the atom begins from the philosophical point of view Democritus being
the first to analyze this concept. In 400 a.C. Democritus’s atomic theory posited that all
matter is made up small indestructible units he called atoms; all matter around us is made of
indivisible tiny particles “atomos”. He thought that if you take a piece of matter and divide
it and continue to divide it you will eventually come to a point where you could not divide it
anymore.
In 1807, the study of the atom advanced remarkably with the Dalton model. John
Dalton Proposed that elements consisted of atoms that were identical and had the same mass
and that compounds were atoms from different elements combined. In addition, Dalton
created 4 postulates:
1. Elements are composed of small indivisible particles called atoms.
2. Atoms of the same element are identical. Atoms of different elements are different.
3. Atoms of different elements combine in simple proportions to create a compound.
4. In a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged, but not changed.
In 1832, Michael Faraday made a rather interesting discovery by adding it to Dalton's
atomic model. The structure of atoms is somehow related to electricity. Also developed the
two laws of electrochemistry.
In 1896, the concept of the atomic structure was dramatically and forcefully updated
with the discoveries of Thomson. Discovered atoms have negative particles (electrons) using
a cathode ray tube. Discovered atoms have negative particles (electrons) using a cathode ray
tube. Discovered electron’s charge to mass ratio: 1.76 x 108 C / g and the electrons are
dispersed in a uniform positive charge.
Max Planck in 1900, presented a theoretical explanation of the spectrum of radiation
emitted by an object that glows when heated. He proposed the idea of quantization to explain
how a hot, glowing object emitted light.
In 1914 H.G. Moseley Discovered that the number of protons in an element determines
its atomic number. Each element contains a unique number of protons. These discoveries
 ROGELIO EDUARDO GORDILLO VEGA
177681 QFB ENGLISH II 1A

were adding an important contribution in the atomic models that opened the way to more
discoveries.
In 1922, Niels Bohr proposed an atomic structure theory that stated the outer orbit of
an atom could hold more electrons than the inner orbit. Niels Bohr agreed with the planetary
model of the atom, but also knew that it had a few flaws. Using his knowledge of energy and
quantum physics he was able to perfect Rutherford’s model. He was able to answer why the
electrons did not collapse into the nucleus.
Lastly, in 1932 James Chadwick discovered neutrons, particles whose mass was close
to that of a proton, this thanks to Joliot-Curie Experiments – based his theory on their
experimental evidence. Thus giving the last subatomic particle of which we have knowledge
and thus conforming the current atomic model.

CONCLUSION
Atomic structure is a concept that even today may be somewhat incomplete. This is
demonstrated thanks to the fact that through the years the atomic models, which have served
as something graphic for the study of the atom, have changed in their structure and
characteristics.
Therefore, these studies can advance, and, in the future, various types of atomic models
can be created that serve as background for more theories and more discoveries.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHANG, R. Principios Esenciales de Química General, Cuarta edición,
McGraw-Hill, Madrid, 2006.

ATKINS, P.; JONES L. Principios de Química (Los caminos del

descubrimiento). , Ed. Médica Panamericana, Buenos Aires, 2006.

Brown, Theodore L., LeMay, H. Eugene, Bursten, Bruce E. Química, la Ciencia

Central, 7 ed. Pearson Educación, México, 1998.