1.1 Fundamental Particles

Starter: GCSE recap.
1. Complete the table to identify the relative charges and masses of

the sub-atomic particles.
2. Draw & label the structure of an atom. Describe the arrangement
of the sub-atomic particles
Proton Neutron Electron
Relative mass 1 1 1/1840
Relative charge +1 0 -1
Challenge: Explain how protons & neutrons (nucleons) are held together.
Protons and neutrons (nucleons) are held Protons and neutrons are in the
together by a force called the strong nuclear centre of the atom (nucleus). The
force. This is much stronger than the
nucleus is surrounded by
electrostatic forces of attraction that hold the
protons and electrons together in the atom,
electrons. Electrons are found in
so it overcomes the repulsion of the protons a series of levels, referred to as
in the nucleus. The strong nuclear force only orbits or shells, which get further
acts over very short distances (0.5fm to 3fm) and further from the nucleus
Learning Objective
How particles are arranged in an atom

Task: Research the mass & charge of each sub-atomic particle.
Proton Neutron Electron
Mass/ kg 1.673 x 10-27 1.675 x 10-27 9.11 x 10-31
Charge/ C + 1.602 x 10-19 0 - 1.602 x 10-19
Challenge: 1) Explain what happens if a beam of each sub-atomic particle is

passed between two electrically charged plates - one positive and one negative.
2) What would happen if each beam of particles had the same speed?
1) Opposites attract. Protons are positively
charged and so would be deflected on a curving
path towards the negative plate. Electrons are
negatively charged and so would be deflected on
a curving path towards the positive plate.
Neutrons don't have a charge, and so would
continue on in a straight line. 2) If the electrons
and protons are travelling with the same speed,
then the lighter electrons are deflected far more
strongly than the heavier protons.
Task: Read Developing ideas of the atom & answer the questions.
1. What did Robert Boyle propose?

2. What did John Dalton suggest?
3. What did the discover of radioactivity show?
4. What did Thomson speculate about atoms, based on his
discovery of the electron?
5. What did Ernest Rutherford discover about the atom?
Challenge: In 1905, Ernest Rutherford did an experiment to test the

plum pudding model. His two students, Hans Geiger and Ernest
Marsden, directed a beam of alpha particles at a very thin gold leaf
suspended in a vacuum. What was Rutherford able to conclude
about the structure of an atom based on the results of this
experiment?
Self assess
1. What did Robert Boyle propose?
Some substances, known as elements, could not be made any simpler.
2. What did John Dalton suggest?
Elements were composed of atoms & could not be broken down. All atoms
of a particular element had the same mass.
3. What did the discover of radioactivity show?
Particles could come from inside the atom, the atom was not indivisible.
4. What did Thomson speculate about atoms, based on his discovery of
the electron?
There were positive charges inside the atom too. As electrons were much
lighter than whole atoms, there had to be something to account for the
rest of the mass of an atom.
5. What did Ernest Rutherford discover about the atom?
Most of the mass & all the positive charge of an atom was in a tiny central
nucleus.
Observations Conclusions
most of the alpha particles the fact that most alpha particles went straight
did pass straight through through the foil is evidence for the atom being
the foil mostly empty space.
a small number of alpha particles being
a small number of alpha
deflected at large angles suggested that there is
particles were deflected by
a concentration of positive charge in the atom -
large angles (> 4°) as they
like charges repel, so the positive alpha particles
passed through the foil
were being repelled by positive charges
the very small number of alpha particles coming
straight back suggested that the positive charge
a very small number of and mass are concentrated in a tiny volume in
alpha particles came the atom (the nucleus) - the tiny number doing
straight back off the foil this means the chance of being on that exact
collision course was very small, and so the
'target' being aimed at had to be equally tiny
Summary questions: Answer the questions below.
1. Identify which of the following - protons, neutrons, or electrons:

a) are nucleons Proton & neutron
b) have no charge Neutron
c) have the same relative mass Proton & neutron
d) are found outside the nucleus Electron
e) have opposite charges Proton & electron
2. Explain why we assume that there are the same number of

protons and electrons in an atom.
Because they have opposite charges of the same size and the atom is
neutral.

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Starter: GCSE recap.

1. Complete the table to identify the relative charges and masses of

Relative mass 1 1 1/1840

How particles are arranged in an atom

Mass/ kg 1.673 x 10-27 1.675 x 10-27 9.11 x 10-31

Charge/ C + 1.602 x 10-19 0 - 1.602 x 10-19

Challenge: 1) Explain what happens if a beam of each sub-atomic particle is

1. What did Robert Boyle propose?

Challenge: In 1905, Ernest Rutherford did an experiment to test the

1. Identify which of the following - protons, neutrons, or electrons:

b) have no charge Neutron

c) have the same relative mass Proton & neutron

d) are found outside the nucleus Electron

e) have opposite charges Proton & electron

2. Explain why we assume that there are the same number of

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