Nature of Science:
Dalton’s Theory & Plum
Pudding Model
By: Dhara Badal, Leon Dawes, Aulanni Kidd,
Sam Melville, Ackayla Reid, Mia Sproul
WHO WAS JOHN DALTON?
John Dalton was an English chemist and physicist who greatly contributed to the
development of the atomic theory. He created the “Dalton’s Atomic Theory” in 1808
which helped to solve many unexplained chemical phenomena.
MAIN POSTULATES OF DALTON’S ATOMIC
THEORY
1. All matter is made up of very tiny particles called atoms
2. Atoms are indivisible particles which cannot be created nor destroyed in a
chemical reaction (only the grouping of these atoms would change)
3. Atoms of a given element are identical in mass and chemical properties
4. Atoms of different elements have different masses and chemical properties
5. Atoms combine in a ratio of small whole numbers to form compounds
WHO WAS J.J. THOMSON?
Sir Joseph John Thomson or J.J. Thomson is a British physicist who is best known for
his work in discovering the first subatomic particle to be discovered, the electron.
His discovery also helped to prove the existence of isotopes in a stable element.
THE PLUM PUDDING MODEL
➔ The plum pudding model was proposed after
Thomson discovered the electrons but before the
discovery of the atomic nucleus
➔ It was known that there was a positive charge in
the atom that made the atom neutral by balancing
out the negative charges of the electrons but they
didn't know where the positive charge was coming
from.
➔ Thomson’s model had negatively charged electrons
surrounded by a volume a positively charged
undiscovered matter to produced a neutral atom.
DALTON VS THOMSON
➔ Dalton believed that atoms looked like solid,
hard spheres (like pool balls) and he
represented them as wooden balls
➔ Thomson's discovery of the electron proved
the existence of subatomic particles which
modified Dalton’s theory that atoms were
indivisible particles.
➔ Thomson discovered that atoms are
composite objects, made of pieces with ➔ The model showed that atoms
positive and negative charge, and that the could be described as negative
negatively charged electrons within the atom particles floating within a “soup”
were very small compared to the entire atom. of diffused positive charge
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF
SCIENCE?
NATURE OF SCIENCE
➔ A way of knowing and understanding the
natural world
➔ It involves making observations, collecting
evidence and making sense of the new-
found knowledge to give an explanation with
the help of technology
➔ It is a human and social endeavour- scientists
are always reviewing theories as overtime,
our understanding of the natural world
improves
➔ This cycle of the revision of science happens
because science is tentative- meaning
subject to change
NATURE OF SCIENCE AND PLUM PUDDING
MODEL
Creativity, imagination, persistence and open-mindedness are some parts of the nature of
science. J.J. Thomson revised Dalton’s Atomic Theory and discovered the flaw in his work. He
found a way to improve Dalton’s starting idea by:
➔ Being persistent: Thomson had to go through many experiments and many trials and errors
to make his discovery of the electron and the role it played in the structure of the atom
➔ Interacting with and using technology(cathode ray tube) to help with his discoveries
➔ Using the peer review system: He understood and built on Dalton’s theory instead of
completely disregarding it.
➔ He was skeptical about the current theory at that time and curious to find out more about
the atom
CATHODE RAY TUBE EXPERIMENT
➔ JJ Thomson conducted an experiment to see if he could separate the charge of a
particle from the particle
➔ He deflected cathode rays with both electric and magnetic fields.
➔ Two oppositely charged electric plates were placed around the cathode ray. The
ray bent towards the positively charged plate and away from the negatively
charged plate.
➔ Thomson also placed two magnets on either side of the tube and saw that the ray
was also deflected by the magnetic field.
➔ Thomson concluded that the ray was composed of negatively charged particles,
later termed as electrons
CATHODE RAY TUBE EXPERIMENT
With these experiments, Thomson discovered that:
➔ All atoms contain tiny negatively charged subatomic particles or electrons and the
mass of each of these particles was 1/2000 the mass of the hydrogen atom
He repeated the experiment, using different metals for the electrodes and found that
the results were the same, regardless of metal. He then concluded that these particles
must be found in the atoms of every element.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSAgLvKOPLQ - video on evolution of the
Atomic Theory. (start at 3:45 for Thomson’s Plum Pudding Model)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb6MguN0Uj4 - video that helps visualise
Cathode Ray Experiment and how electrons were discovered (set playback speed
to x1.5 and start at 2:30)
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING :)
