Final answer:
The understanding of atomic structure has evolved significantly since the 1800s, with key discoveries and models being proposed. These include the plum pudding model, the nuclear model, the planetary model, and the electron cloud model.
Step-by-step explanation:
The understanding of atomic structure has evolved significantly since the 1800s. Here is a timeline of the changes:
- In the late 1800s, J.J. Thomson discovered the electron and proposed the plum pudding model, which suggested that electrons were embedded in a positively charged sphere.
- In 1911, Ernest Rutherford conducted the gold foil experiment, which led to the discovery of the nucleus and the development of the nuclear model of the atom. According to this model, the atom has a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at its center, with electrons orbiting around it.
- In 1913, Niels Bohr introduced the planetary model, in which electrons occupy specific energy levels or shells around the nucleus.
- Later advancements in quantum mechanics refined our understanding of atomic structure, including the electron cloud model, which describes the probability distribution of finding electrons in different regions around the nucleus.