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J.J. Thompson finds evidence that atoms are composed of smaller pieces by discovering electrons;
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Marie Curie discovers radioactive elements (radium and polonium).
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Rutherford and Bohr come up with a model of the atom. The Rutherford-Bohr model consists of electrons surrounding a highly concentrated center, the nucleus.
…later Rutherford discovers positively charged particles in the nucleus (protons) through what is known as the first nuclear reaction. -
Neutrons are discovered by James Chadwick.
Many other scientists, such as Cockcroft and Walton, began experimenting with the bombarding of protons at neutrons. These scientists realized that mass had been converted into energy but they didn’t predict they could harvest this energy. -
Leo Szilard files the first patent for producing a chain reaction (nuclear explosion).
