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Sir Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton proposed a mechanical universe with small solid masses in action in the year 1704. Newton created the bases of the Atomic Theory back then, but it was not called an Atomic theory until 1803 (John Dalton). Newton contributed the fundamentals and mechanics of the theory, for the next generation of scientists. Even though Newton was known to being a mathematician he was also belived to be one of the greatest scientists ever. -
John Dalton
Dalton was the one to suggest an "atomic theory" with spherical solid atoms based upon measurable properties of mass. Dalton believed that all matter was made of atoms, and all atoms were undestructible. As well that all atoms of a certain element are identical in mass and properties/features. Also that compounds are formed from 2 or more of different kind of atoms. Finally Dalton believed that any chemical reaction is a rearrangement of atoms. -
J. J. Thompson (Joseph John)
Joseph John Thompson or better known as J.J. Thompson was the one to discover the electron. Thompson discovered the electron in the middle of a series of experiments designed to study the nature of electric discharge in a high-vacuum cathode-ray tube, an idea being investigated by numerous scientists at that time. He interpreted the reflection of rays by electrically charged plates and magnets to prove that the energy is much smaller then a size of an atom. -
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein became famous because of his relativity theory. This theory was the basis that led to the release of atomic energy. He created the famous equation (E=mc^2). The modern atomic theory is also known as the quantum theory, Einstein contributed to the quantum theory the most by being against it, which in return has caused Neil Bohr to create more models and explanations for it the theory. Einstein contributed to science by simply criticism -
Robert Millikan
Robert Millikan determined the unit charge of the electron in 1909 with his oil drop experiment at the University of Chicago. Which contributed to the ability of calculating the mass of the electron and the positively charged atoms. -
Ernest Rutherford
Rutherford atomic theory described that the atom had a central positive nucleus that is surrounded by negative orbiting electrons. The model he created suggested that most of the atoms mass was contained in the small nucleus, and that the rest of the atom is only empty space. He came to this conclusion after performing his famous gold foil experiment. -
Arnold Sommerfeld
Arnold Sommerfeld found out the elliptical paths of the electrons. He further enhanced the atomic theory by discovering its direction of orbit. -
Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr has developed an explanation of the atomic structure that further enhances our knowledge of the periodic table. His atomic model had atoms built up of sucessive orbital shells of electrons. -
Erwin Schrodinger
Edwin Schrodinger contributed to the Atomic Theory by saying that rather than electrons being distributed within an electron configuration of shells and energy levels, they were organized in orbitals which were systematically distributed within Electron Clouds. Schrodingers definition of an orbital was: The region of space that surrounds a nucleus in which two electrons may randomly move. -
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Heisenberg contribution was the Uncertainty Principle, which basically says that you can not know all of the properties of an atomic particle. For instance, the more certain you are of its position, the less certain you can be about its momentum. -
James Chadwick
James Chadwick discovered the neutron. He discovered that neutrons help stabilize the protons in the atom's nucleus, because the nucleus is so tightly packed together, the positively charged protons would tend to repel each other normally. They help in minimizing the repulsion between protons and stabilize the atom's nucleus. -
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi the Italian-American noble prize winner. Fermi was known for his work on the first nuclear reactor, as well as to his contribution in nuclear and particle physics, statistica mechanics, and the quantom theory.
