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Atomic Theory
John Dalton used oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, combined in constant proportions to help with his discovery of the atomic theory. Dalton originally called his discovery "Relative Weights of Ultimate Particles," but now, it is officially called "Atomic Weights." The atomic theory is defined as a revolutionary new system that defined the relationship between atoms and their elements. -
Electricity Transforms Chemicals
At the time, electricity was considered to be the new "fire." Humphry Davy, a self-taught battery junkie of an English man, melted pot ash and ran it through the biggest batter that he had. Pure potassium emerged, and he discovered the power of electricity to react with chemicals and transformed them. -
Atoms Combine into Molecules
When Joseph Gay-Lussac combined equal volumes of different gases and measured their reactions, the gases often produced twice the volume than he originally anticipated. Later on in 1811, Amedeo Avogadro, and Italian chemist, discovered that gases were made of many atoms, better known as molecules; at the time, gases were known to be made from a single atom. -
Atoms Have Signatures of Light
In the 1850s, Robert Bunsen and his collaborators conducted a series of experiments to determine why substances emitted specific colors when they're put in a flame. The color determined what elements were present in the flame. The combinations of bright colors and dark lines were like bar codes, indicating what atoms were present at the time. They discovered two new elements, cesium and rubidium, and discovered traces of sodium in the sun. -
Chemical Structure
Atoms of particular elements, sodium and chlorine, seem to combine with each other in ratios. A German chemist, August Kekule, developed a system of visualizing chemical structure of various molecules. He structured atoms by writing their symbol in the middle, then added marks around the symbol to show their bond. Benzene however, didn't fit in Kekule's formula, but later on figured out the answer in his sleep. -
Plastics
John Hyat discovered a way to exploit the long-stringy molecules of cellulose found naturally in plants, creating the first plastic. 50 years later, Belgium born chemist Leo Baekeland made a polymer called Bakelite. Plastics are polymers, which are long chains of molecules. Some advantages of plastic include: mold-able, good strength, and can mimic or surpass natural fibers. -
Periodic Table of Elements
In 1869, Russian chemist, Dimitri Mendeleev wondered how he could explain to his students the known 63 elements. He created a card for each element that created the element's name, weight, properties, and similarities to the elements. He used his map, or periodic table of elements to try and eventually discover NEW elements. -
The Electron
In the late 1800s, Joseph Thompson conducted an experiment to help him measure electrical charge. A cathode ray tube can be used to show key points in Thompson's experiment; a magnetic field can deflect electrons in the experiment. When Thompson exposed the stream of cathode rays to a magnet, the stream would bend. Since magnets can only affect matter, the stream of rays was composed of some sort of electrically charged substance, better known now as radiant matter. -
Radioactivity
In 1896, a French physicist, Henri Becquerel conducted a series of experiments to see if various minerals would emit radiation. Eventually, Marie and Pierre took over Becquerel's discovery of isolating whatever elements that was responsible for the radioactivity in uranium. Two new elements were discovered: polonium and radium. Ernest Rutherford found that radioactive material goes through a natural process of decay. Radioactivity spontaneously emits energy particles to penetrate matter. -
Electrons From Chemical Bonds
In the 1900s, American chemist Gilbert Lewis developed a model of an atom that provided an answer. In his shell of the atom, each shell allows a maximum number of electrons. He predicted that 2 chemical elements might combine to form a compound when they give up or accept atoms to their outer shell. On their own, sodium and chlorine are hazardous. But when a sodium atom gives up an electron from its outer shell, and a chlorine outer shell accepts it, the elements bond to create sodium chloride. -
Citing Sources
00 Greatest Discoveries of Chemistry. Dir. Michael F. Fountain. Perf. Bill Nye. YouTube. YouTube, 29 Mar. 2014. Web. 24 July 2017.
"Development of the Atomic Theory." HISTORICAL OUTLINE of the Atomic Theory and the Structure of the Atom. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2017.
"Humphry Davy." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 24 July 2017.
"J.J. Thomson." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 19 Dec. 2016. Web. 24 July 2017.