Atomic Models

What are the atoms described as in the Solid Sphere Model?

Atoms are dense and solid, with no internal structure or subatomic particles considered.

How are atoms depicted in the Plum Pudding Model?

Atoms are described as uniform, positively charged spheres with electrons embedded within them, similar to raisins in a pudding.

What key feature distinguishes the Nuclear Model of the atom?

The Nuclear Model consists of a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center, with electrons orbiting around it, similar to planets orbiting around the sun.

In the Planetary Model, what do electrons do regarding energy levels?

Electrons move in quantized, discrete energy levels around the nucleus and emit or absorb energy when transitioning between levels.

What does the Quantum Model state about electrons?

Electrons do not have definite orbits but are described by wave functions that represent probability distributions of their locations.

Who proposed the Solid Sphere Model and when?

John Dalton proposed the Solid Sphere Model in the early 19th century.

What major limitation did Dalton's Solid Sphere Model have?

It couldn’t explain differences in atomic mass within an element (isotopes) or account for the presence of subatomic particles.

What did J.J. Thomson discover in the late 19th century?

He discovered electrons as distinct particles and proposed the Plum Pudding Model.

What are the limitations of the Plum Pudding Model?

It couldn’t explain why electrons didn’t collapse into the positive sphere and failed to predict the distribution of electrons.

What significant experiment did Ernest Rutherford conduct?

He conducted the gold foil experiment which revealed that most of the atom's mass is concentrated in a small, positively charged nucleus.

What theory did Niels Bohr introduce and why is it significant?

The Planetary Model, which explained atomic spectra with precision and introduced the concept of quantized energy levels.

What is one limitation of Bohr's Planetary Model?

It was limited to explaining the hydrogen atom and couldn't account for the behavior of multi-electron atoms.

What contribution did Erwin Schrödinger make to atomic theory?

He proposed the Quantum Model in the 1920s, which provides a comprehensive understanding of electron behavior.

How does Schrödinger's model differ from earlier models?

It describes electrons as existing in a probable wave-like pattern around the nucleus, rather than in specific orbits.

What concept does Schrödinger's cat illustrate in quantum mechanics?

It illustrates the probabilistic nature of quantum systems, similar to how electrons are described by probability clouds.