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Rutherford’s Nuclear Model
In 1911 Ernest Ruthford published his standard model of the atom called the “Nuclear Model”. It improved upon J.J. Thomson's plum pudding model by identifying the positively charged nucleus of the atom was at the center and the electrons circled it. -
Bohr began working with Rutherford
In 1912 Niels Bohr left the Cavendish laboratory that J.J. Thomsons ran in order to work in Rutherford Laboratory in Manchester. There he continued work on improving the “Nuclear Model” by incorporating ideas from Planck's Quantum Theory, Namely the quantum energy packets that electrons can emit or absorb. -
Bohr's Planetary Model
In 1913 Niels Bohr published his model the “Planetary Model'' which improved upon Rutherford's model by accurately predicting stable electron orbits. The electrons jump orbits by either releasing or absorbing energy in the form of quantum. There were issues with this model, namely it left the possibility that electrons could also emit too much energy and fall into the nucleus, which doesn't happen. -
Bohr's Legacy
Niels Bohr’s model was the most accurate standard model for thirteen years and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in 1922. In 1926 Edwin Schrodinger recognized that electrons don’t orbit the nucleus, but act as waves in “Clouds of probability” around the atom. These clouds are areas where electrons should be but we can’t predict their exact location. Off of Niels Bohr research and framework Schrodinger created today's standard model of the atom.