Atomic Theory Time Travel Mission

Introduction
The American Chemical Society has chosen YOU! You will be traveling back in time in order to
meet the Greek philosopher Democritus. Democritus first introduced the concept of atoms thousands of
years ago. Since then, our understanding of the atom has slowly expanded up until today. It is your job to
bring him up to date up through the work of the scientists mentioned below. You must communicate to him
how our understanding of the atom progressed through history. What were the key steps in the
development of that understanding? This is what you will be communicating to Democritus!
The Task:
You are to develop a briefing for Democritus that outlines the key scientists and experiments associated
with the development of the modern atomic theory. The briefing should include the names of the
scientists, a description of the accomplishments, pictures of experimental equipment or atomic
models, and descriptions of important scientific laws or principles developed by these scientists.
Scientists:
Democritus
Thomson
Chadwick
Bohr
Dalton
Rutherford

Experiments & Models:

Gold Foil Experiment
Quantum Mechanical Model
Bohr Planetary Model
Cathode Ray Tube Experiment
Rutherford Model
Dalton's Atomic Theory
Plum Pudding Atomic Model

Prepare a chronological briefing for Democritus using PowerPoint or Word. It should include information
from your research presented in chronological order and pictures to illustrate your information. You must
turn in a printed version of your briefing. Refer to the handout How To Write A Briefing Note.
Sources-cited; both web & hard copy; documented using APA format
http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citapa.htm (this site is color coded cool!!)
http://www.crk.umn.edu/library/links/apa5th.htm (pretty easy to use)
http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/apagd.php
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/writer_resources/citation_styles/apa/apa.htm
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPAOrientation.html
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPAReferences.html
Resources:
Atomic Museum: www.atomicmuseum.com (This site contains a timeline with information on the road to
the atomic age.)
Atomic Theory Timeline: www.gsu.edu/other/timeline/quantum.html (This site contains a timeline with
dates, scientist names, and key discoveries related to the atom.)
Atomic Structure Info: dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/Atomic Structure/AtomicStructure.html (This site has
information about Dalton, Moseley, and Rutherford.)
A look inside the atom: www.aip.org/history/electron (This site contains information about Thomson and
the discovery of the electron.)
Images of Chemists and Equipment: dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/gallery/gallerymenu.html
History of the Atom: members.tripod.com/~mrbeens/atom.html (This site has information about the various
atomic models and pictures of those models.