Atomic Theory Timeline

  • 440 BCE

    Democritus

    Democritus
    Atoms are "uncuttable"
    Atoms are small, hard particles
    Atoms constantly move
  • 440 BCE

    Democritus

    Democritus
    Atomic Model
  • Period: 440 BCE to

    Atomic Theory

  • John Dalton

    John Dalton
    All substances are made of atoms
    Atoms of different elements are different
    Atoms of the same element are exactly alike
    Elements combine in specific proportions
    He conducted experiments in combining elements
  • John Dalton

    John Dalton
    Atomic Model
  • J.J. Thomas

    J.J. Thomas
    He conducted the cathode-ray tube experiment
    His theory of the atomic structure lead to the "plum-pudding" model
    There are small, negatively charged particles inside an atom
  • J.J. Thomson

    J.J. Thomson
    Atomic Model
  • Ernest Rutherford

    Ernest Rutherford
    Atoms contain mostly empty space
    Electrons move in empty space in the atom
    He conducted the gold foil experiment
    Most of an atom's mass is in the nucleus
    There is a small, dense, positively charged nucleus
  • Ernest Rutherford

    Ernest Rutherford
    Atomic Model
  • Niels Bohr

    Niels Bohr
    Electrons travel in definite paths
    Electrons jump between levels from path to path
  • Niels Bohr

    Niels Bohr
    Atomic Model
  • Erwin Schrodinger and Werner Heisenberg

    Erwin Schrodinger and Werner Heisenberg
    Electron paths cannot be predicted
    Electrons are found in electron clouds, not paths
  • Erwin schrodinger and Werner Heisenberg

    Erwin schrodinger and Werner Heisenberg
    Atomic Model