DEVELOPMENT OF THE ATOMIC THEORY

442BC 1803CE
500BC

DEMOCRITUS 1CE
JOHN DALTON
Everything is physically (though According to Dalton, all
not geometrically) made 500CE elements are composed of
up of indivisible atoms, tiny particles called atoms,
each separated by empty 1000CE
which are unchangeable and
spaces. These atoms vary, are indestructible. These elements
indestructible, and are always in 1500CE
are also characterized by the
motion. 2000CE 1800CE
weight of their atoms.

1905CE
1897CE ALBERT EINSTEIN
JJ THOMSON 1810CE
According to Einstein’s Quantum
The Plum Pudding Model takes into account Theory of Light, light exists as
the electrical properties of the atom due to the particles called photons which
electrons. This was experimented are emitted and absorbed by
with a cathode ray which showed 1820CE

photons (Photoelectric Effect).

that the cathode rays were
negatively
c h a r g e d 1911CE
as neon
1830CE
ERNEST RUTHERFORD
gas were Through the Gold Foil Experiment,
positively it was discovered that an atom
charged. 1840CE consists of a small, dense,
positively charged nucleus in
the center and
is surrounded
1909CE
by negatively
1850CE

ROBERT MILLIKAN
charged
Millikan had used an oil-drop
electrons.
experiment to measure the
electric charge of
1860CE

the electron
(which has a 1924CE.
magnitude 1870CE LOUIS DE BROGLIE
of 1.592417 Electron Waves showed that
x 10-19C). electrons, similar to light, have
a wave-particle duality.
1880CE

1913CE
NEILS BOHR 1926CE
The Planetary Model by Bohr showed the ERWIN SCHRODINGER
1890CE

presence of circular orbits around According to the Quantum Mechanical Model

the nucleus which the electrons
occupy. Each of these orbits
has an energy associated with
it. When an electron jumps
to a higher orbit, energy is
absorbed and it is emitted
when it falls to a lower orbit.
of the Atom by Schrodinger, the nucleus is
surrounded by an electron cloud
1900CE and is used to predict odds of
the location of an electron. The
concept of sub-energy levels
was also introduced.
1910CE

1932CE
1925CE JAMES CHADWICK
WERNER HEISENBERG
1920CE

When Beryllium atoms were bombarded

Heisenberg developed the with alpha particles, it produced an unknown
Uncertainty Principle which radiation composed of particles with
states that electrons do 1930CE
neutral electrical charge and the
not travel in neat orbits; all approximate
electrons that contain photons mass of a
will change momentum and 1940CE
proton or
physics. The Theory of Quantum a neutron.
Mechanics calculated the behavior Quarks,
of electrons and subatomic particles to smaller
understand the patterns of an electron. This 1950CE units made
proved the existence of an electron cloud. of vibrating strings
of energy, were introduced.