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American Journal of Physics

Thomson Atom

Henry Zatzkis

Published Dec 1, 1958• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The historical development leading up to the Rutherford-Bohr model of the atom is briefly surveyed. The atomic model, suggested by J. J. Thomson before Rutherford's model, is investigated. The quantization shows that the bound states bear a marked resemblance to those of the hydrogen atom. However, the states are in general nondegenerate. Thus, the Thomson atom could not have survived the spectroscopic evidence even if no Rutherford scattering experiments had been performed.

DOI
10.1119/1.1934721

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British Journal of Radiology•Feb 1, 1932•0 citations
The historical development leading up to the Rutherford-Bohr model of the atom is briefly surveyed. The atomic model, suggested by J. J. Thomson before Rutherford's model, is investigated. The quantization shows that the bound states bear a marked resemblance to those of the hydrogen atom. However, the states are in general nondegenerate. Thus, the Thomson atom could not have survived the spectroscopic evidence even if no Rutherford scattering experiments had been performed.
The quantum theory of Bohr has roots in the theories of Rutherford and J. J. Thomson on the one hand, and that of Nicholson on the other. We note that Bohr neither presented the theories of Rutherford and Thomson faithfully, nor did he refer to the theory of Nicholson in its own terms. The contrasting attitudes towards these antecedent theories is telling and reveals the philosophical disposition of Bohr. We argue that Bohr intentionally avoided the concept of model as inappropriate for describing his proposed theory. Bohr had no problem in referring to the works of others as 'models', thus separating his theory from previous theories. He was interested in uncovering 'a little piece of reality'.
Through his experiments, the physicist Niels Bohr improved upon Rutherford's model of the atom and developed his model of the atomic structure in 1913 that succeeded in explaining the spectral features of the hydrogen atom. A simple means for extending the conventional non-relativistic Bohr model of the atom to include the wave nature of electrons is presented. As the derivation requires basic knowledge of classical and wave mechanics, it can be taught in standard courses in modern physics and introductory quantum mechanics.
In 1897, Thomson demonstrated that cathode rays (observed to be emitted from the cathodes of vacuum tubes) were in fact charged particles which he called electrons. Thomson proposed that the atom consisted of a positively charged sphere in which were embedded negatively charged electrons. Rutherford subsequently found in 1911 that the electrons orbited at some distance from a central positively charged nucleus. Rutherford proposed that electrostatic attraction between the nucleus and the electron was balanced by the centrifugal force arising from the orbital motion. However, if this were the case, then the electrons (being accelerated inwards towards the center of rotation) would continuously radiate all their energy as electromagnetic waves and very quickly fall into the nucleus. In 1913, Bohr postulated two important additions to Rutherford’s theory of atomic structure: 1. Electrons can orbit the nucleus in what are called stationary states in which no emission of radiation occurs and in which the angular momentum L is constrained to have values: 2. Electrons can make transitions from one state to another accompanied by the emission or absorption of a single photon of energy E = hf thus leading to absorption and emission spectra.
A model which I wish to show you was constructed to illustrate the motion of the electrons around the nucleus of the Rutherford atom, and the changing dimensions and varying plane of their orbit. More violent disturbance produces a series of secondary waves in each orbit, which divide the orbit in the manner suggested by the wave and quantum theories. The model is a very simple one, and my only excuse for bringing it to your notice is the pleasure which it has given to myself, and the fact that it has enabled me to realise as I could not previously do, Rutherford's theory of atomic structure. Rutherford's atom, which at present holds the field, consists essentially of a nucleus around which rotate a number of electrons. This number is the atomic number of the atom, so that with hydrogen there is one circulating electron, with helium there are two, and the number of electrons steadily rises with the atomic number until we reach uranium, which has ninety-two circulating electrons. Each of these electrons rotates independently, and its orbit is subject to very great variation. Indeed the motion of the electron is so complex that it is exceedingly difficult to form any concrete idea of what a variable orbit really means, or what perturbations in the orbit signify. It is with the idea of assisting the imagination that I have constructed this model, consisting of two prisms so placed that a horizontal beam of light is reflected downwards by the first prism on to the second, by which it is again reflected horizontally.