History of the Atom

Topics

• Atomic Structure Discovery

• Electron's Charge/Mass Ratio

• Quantization of Electric Charge

• Discovery of the Nucleus

• Electromagnetic Deflection

• Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

Learning Objectives

• Describe how Thomson discovered the electron's existence and properties.

• Explain how magnetic and electric fields deflect charged particles.

• Use Millikan's method to determine an oil drop's electric charge.

• Understand that electric charge is quantized in discrete units.

• Compare the Plum Pudding and Nuclear models of the atom.

• Explain Rutherford's evidence for a small, dense, positive nucleus.

• Analyze experimental data to draw conclusions about atomic structure.

Standards Alignment

• HS-PS1-1

• HS-PS1-8

• HS-PS2-4

• HS-PS2-5

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