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AQA GCSE · Question 03.1 · Atomic structure and the periodic table
This question is about models of the atom.
Figure 2 shows two early models of the atom.
Name the models of the atom shown in Figure 2.
Model A:
Model B:
This question is about models of the atom.
Figure 2 shows two early models of the atom.
Name the models of the atom shown in Figure 2.
Model A:
Model B:
How to approach this question
Model A shows a ball of positive charge with negative electrons embedded within it. What is this early model of the atom called?
Model B shows a central positive nucleus with electrons orbiting it in shells. This came after the discovery of the nucleus. Who proposed this model?
Full Answer
Model A: Plum pudding model
Model B: Nuclear model / Rutherford model
**Model A** is the **plum pudding model**, proposed by J.J. Thomson in 1904. It depicts the atom as a uniform sphere of positive charge with negatively charged electrons embedded in it, much like plums in a pudding.
**Model B** is the **nuclear model**, proposed by Ernest Rutherford in 1911 following his gold foil experiment. This model was the first to suggest a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center of the atom, with electrons orbiting it. This explained why most alpha particles passed through the foil but some were deflected at large angles.
Common mistakes
✗ Confusing the two models.
✗ Naming Model B as the Bohr model - the Bohr model is a refinement of the nuclear model that introduced specific energy levels or shells, which are depicted here, but "nuclear model" is the fundamental name.
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