Father of scientific atomic theory
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Indeed most alpha particles were scarcely deflected. Hans Geiger, Rutherford’s colleague, suggested that their student Ernest Marsden look for deflections of alpha particles through very thin foils, feeling certain that large deflections would not occur. Some radioactive substances emit alpha particles (very massive, positively charged particles) and Rutherford thought that by studying how positive alpha particles in a beam were scattered by the atoms of a material one could infer the atom’s internal structure. Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937) had been involved in studying the scattering of alpha particles by sheets of metal and mica.
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The major experimental indication of the atoms’ structure was Rutherford’s Scattering Experiment. In his model, the atom was a mix of equal numbers of positive and negative charges. Thomson (1856-1940), discoverer of the electron, proposed what we call the "plum pudding model" of the atom. His atom however was like a solid billiard ball. John Dalton (1766-1844), a great chemist, really started the modern atomic hypothesis. This idea of tiny, indivisible bits of matter persisted until the 1800’s. The Greek philosopher Democritus (460-370B.C.) conjectured that all things were composed of small, indivisible bits called "atoms," rendered from the Greek atomos meaning "indivisible." Democritus’ atoms came in different sizes and could combine or separate. The structure of the atom has always been one of the most intriguing areas of physics research.
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Who first discovered that atoms are made up of other particles and how was this found? July 2002 Vocatio Center for Life Calling and Career.Office of Student Leadership & Engagement.