Who was the first one to propose a model for the structure of an atom?

Question

Who was the first one to propose a model for the structure of an atom?

1. A. E. Goldstein
2. B. Rutherford
3. C. Niels Bohr
4. D. J. J. Thomson (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — J. J. Thomson

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is J. J. Thomson.

Key Points

• J. J. Thomson was the first scientist to propose a model for the structure of the atom — his 'plum pudding' model (1904).
• Having discovered the electron (1897), Thomson suggested that the atom is a sphere of uniform positive charge in which the negatively charged electrons are embedded, like plums (or raisins) in a pudding, so that the atom as a whole is electrically neutral.
• Since Thomson gave the first atomic model, the correct answer is J. J. Thomson, option (D).

Additional Information

• this model was later disproved by Rutherford's gold-foil experiment (which revealed the nucleus), and refined further by Niels Bohr.