Atomic Structure

Starting the properties of matter

Why Atoms?
Whats the matter with atom?

Is it an atom?

Is it an atom?

Atom

Is it an atom?

Orbit of electron

nucleus

Daltons Atomic Postulates

Each element is composed of indivisible particles called atoms. All atoms of an element are identical
In chemical reactions, the atoms are not changed.

Compounds are formed when atoms of more than one element combine. Daltons law of multiple proportions: When two elements form different compounds, the mass ratio of the elements in one compound is related to the mass ratio in the other by a small whole number.

J. J. Thomsons Discovers the Electron (1897)

In 1897 J. J. Thomson discover the electron. Used cathode ray tubes. High voltage cause rays to be produced. These rays could be deflected with a magnetic field. The rays must be negatively charged particles not light rays.

J. J. Thomsons Atomic Model Plum Pudding Model

Atoms are not hard spherical balls. Further experiments showed two particles in atoms Protons (+) & electrons (-) Electrons were like raisins stuck randomly inside a mass of positively charged pudding. Negative electrons used to hold together the positively changed mass of pudding.

Ernest Rutherfords Experiment

Fired He nuclei (a particles) at a sheet of gold. Most of the particles passed though the gold foil. Some of them bounce back at him. Some were deflected at random angles. This could only happen if atoms were mostly empty space with a hard central nucleus.

Rutherfords Nuclear Model (1911)

Central nucleus composed of positively charged protons. Negatively charged cloud of electrons surrounds the nucleus. Atoms were known to produce emission line spectra specific to each element. PROBLEM: As atoms lost energy why didnt the electrons eventually spiral into the nucleus due to electrical attraction of + for -? PROBLEM: How could all the positive protons stay packed together in the nucleus?

Neil Bohrs Model of Hydrogen (1913)

Solves problem of why electrons to do fall into nucleus. Used quantized orbits with specific energies. Electron can only move between orbits by getting or losing the exact amount of energy required. It could not take fractional steps.

Neil Bohrs Model of Hydrogen

Bohrs model also explained Kirchhoffs Laws of Spectroscopy. Absorption spectra produced when electron absorbed energy needed to go to a higher orbit. Emission spectra produced when electron releases energy and drops to a lower orbit.

Absorption & Emission Spectra

Bohrs model also explained Kirchhoffs Laws of Spectroscopy. Emission spectra produced when electron releases energy and drops to a lower orbit. Absorption spectra produced when electron absorbed energy needed to go to a higher orbit.

Bohrs Hydrogen Atom

Hydrogen Energy Level Diagram

Energy levels constructed based on spectral lines observed for Hydrogen.

The Spectrum of Hydrogen is like a very magnified view of the electron energy levels around the atom. WAY COOL!!!!!!!!!!

Emission Line Spectra

Each element has it own unique electron energy levels with different energy spacing between each level.