ExpertEasy1 markMultiple Choice
AQA GCSE · Question 04.1 · Atomic Structure
The ancient Greeks thought that atoms were tiny spheres that could not be divided into anything smaller. Since then, different discoveries have led to the model of the atom changing.
Some of the discoveries are given in Table 1.
Table 1
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<table border="1" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; border: 2px solid black;">
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px;">The mass of an atom is concentrated in the nucleus.</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px;">Electrons orbit the nucleus at specific distances.</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px;">The nucleus contains neutrons.</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px;">The nucleus contains positively charged protons.</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 12px; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">D</td>
</tr>
</table>
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Which discovery was the earliest?
Tick (✔) one box.
The ancient Greeks thought that atoms were tiny spheres that could not be divided into anything smaller. Since then, different discoveries have led to the model of the atom changing.
Some of the discoveries are given in Table 1.
Table 1
<br/><br/>
Which discovery was the earliest?
Tick (✔) one box.
Answer options:
A.
A
B.
B
C.
C
D.
D
How to approach this question
1. Recall the historical order of the models of the atom.
- Dalton's solid sphere.
- Thomson's plum pudding (discovery of electron, but not an option here).
- Rutherford's nuclear model (discovery of a small, dense, positive nucleus containing protons).
- Bohr's model (electrons in specific energy shells/orbits).
- Chadwick's discovery (the neutron in the nucleus).
2. Match the discoveries A, B, C, and D to the scientists/models.
3. Identify which of these came first.
Full Answer
D.D✓ Correct
D: The nucleus contains positively charged protons.
The historical order of these specific discoveries is:
1. **Discovery of the proton and the nucleus (A and D):** Ernest Rutherford's gold foil experiment (around 1911) showed that the atom's positive charge and most of its mass were concentrated in a tiny central nucleus. This established the existence of protons within the nucleus. This is the earliest discovery among the options.
2. **Electrons in specific orbits (B):** Niels Bohr proposed his model in 1913, suggesting that electrons orbit the nucleus in fixed energy levels or shells. This was an refinement of Rutherford's model.
3. **Discovery of the neutron (C):** James Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932. This completed the basic model of the atom with protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons orbiting it.
Common mistakes
✗ Mixing up the order of discoveries. A common mistake is to think neutrons were discovered before Bohr's model.
✗ Not being able to distinguish between Rutherford's discovery (A and D) and Bohr's (B). Rutherford came first.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Physics Foundation Tier Paper 1
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