Teaching atomic models: Revisited [원자모형 교육 다시 보기]

Abstract

Among the atomic models proposed in the early 20th century, Rutherford's atomic model with a tiny and heavy nucleus surrounded by light electrons, suggested by the experimental discovery of the atomic nucleus, is the basis of the present picture of the atom. We discuss the validity of the atomic model theoretically in this paper. The fact that the nucleus is much smaller than the atom and is just an accidental result of the observation that the nuclear force is much stronger than the electromagnetic force. Thus, a bigger nucleus would be physically allowed if the strong force were weaker. We show that the atom may look like Thompson's plum-pudding model when the strong interaction is so weak that the nucleus is as large as the atom. We use Bohr's atomic model first and solve the Schrodinger equation to confirm it. Eventually, Rutherford's atomic model with a small nucleus is preferred by the relative strength of the strong force to that of the electromagnetic force. To reach a deeper understanding of the atom, we propose teaching the implications of a tiny nucleus. ? 2020 The Korean Physical Society. All rights reserved.