-who were the main characters in the development of the atom?
400 BCE-Democritus 1909- Earnest Rutherford
1789- Antoine Lavasosier 1922- Niels Bohr
1803- John Dalton 1932- James Chadwick
1897- J.J. Thompson
- Why were they vital to the development of the atom
Democritus produced an Atomic Theory. Als0 the existance of an ultimate particle known as the atom. Lavoisier stated the 1st version or law of conservation of mass. Also the 1st extensive list of the elements. Dalton had an Atomic Theory. Also came up with a list of symbols to represent the atoms of the different elements. Also contributed to the atomic weight scale. Thompson had the "plum pudding" atomic model. It stated that the volume of the atom is composed primarily of the more massive positive portion ( the pudding) and the smaller electrons ( raisons in pudding) are dispersed throughout the positive mass to maintain charge neutrality.Rutherford proposed the nucleauer atom as a result of the gold-foil experiment. All the positive charge an all the mass of an atom occupied a small volume at the center of the atom and that most of the volume of the atom was empty space occupied by the electron. Bohr had the Bohr model or the " planetary model". However it was not accurate. He also helped with the understanding of the atomic structure. Chadwick discovered the neutron in the atom wich later led to the atomic bomb.
_ what made them different if anything
Thier minds and upbringing. They where all going for close to the same thing but just going at it different ways which made them all successful and well known for what they did. Their surroundings and education made them different but in the end they were all tyring to unerstand what an atom was.
- Think about your lessons in history and discuss how the time period that they lived in determined the outcome of their discovery/ or how it influenced those individuals to be the names that we know today (aka did it matter where they grew up or if they had money?)
Of course it matters if they had money or not. If they did then they were better able to get an education and have top noth supplies. Also they had different scientist inspiring them. Also each year other scientist were enventing newer stuff that could help them out in there research.
- Why do we consider the atomic theory still a theory? What are the new developments
The atomic theory is still a theory and not a law because it wasn't accurate. When Dalton said atoms where indivisible he wasn't correct.
- Why does it matter that we understand the structure of the atom
Because they are the basic building blocks of all matter. If we don't understand the atom then we can' t further are knowledge in much of anything.