Atomic Timeline

By 28bend
  • Plato
    440 BCE

    Plato

    Theorized that solid forms of matter are composed of indivisible elements shaped like triangles.
  • Democritus
    400 BCE

    Democritus

    The atom was the basic building block of matter.
  • Solar System Model
    330 BCE

    Solar System Model

    Illustrate the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons.
  • The Alchemists
    700

    The Alchemists

    Developed the theory that all metals were formed of sulfur and mercury.
  • Robert Boyle

    Robert Boyle

    He demonstrated that matter is made up of tiny particles that he called corpuscles.
  • Antoine Lavoisier

    Antoine Lavoisier

    Matter was composed of atoms that were not created or destroyed during chemical reactions.
  • Billiard Ball Model

    Billiard Ball Model

    Defined an atom to be a ball-like structure as the concepts of atomic nucleus and electrons were unknown.
  • John Dalton

    John Dalton

    All matter was compromised of invisible and indestructible atoms with distinct masses and properties.
  • Dmitri Mendeleev

    Dmitri Mendeleev

    Invented the periodic table.
  • Amedeo Avogadro

    Amedeo Avogadro

    Two hypotheses - Equal volumes of gas contain equal numbers of molecules; Elementary gases were composed of two atoms.
  • Pierre and Marie CUrie

    Pierre and Marie CUrie

    Discovered the radioactive elements polonium and radium.
  • JJ Thompson

    JJ Thompson

    All atoms contain tiny negatively charged substance particles or electrons.
  • Plum Pudding Model

    Plum Pudding Model

    Depicts the electrons as negatively charged particles embedded in a sea of positive charge.
  • Albert Einstein

    Albert Einstein

    Mathematically proved the existence of atoms.
  • Robert Millikan

    Robert Millikan

    Accurate determination of the charge carried by an electron.
  • Ernest Rutherford

    Ernest Rutherford

    Described the atom as having a tiny, dense, and positively charged core called the nucleus.
  • Niels Bohr

    Niels Bohr

    Proposed a theory for the hydrogen atom based on quantum theory.
  • Henry G  J Mosely

    Henry G J Mosely

    The atomic number of an element is the number of positive charged in the atomic nucleus.
  • Werner Heisenburg

    Werner Heisenburg

    Developed an idea that a strong force in the nucleus holds the neutrons and protons together.
  • Electron Cloud Model

    Electron Cloud Model

    Represents the area around an atom's nucleus where electrons are most likely to be found.
  • James Chadwick

    James Chadwick

    Discovered the neutron.