Jerome is learning how the model of the atom has changed over time as new evidence was gathered. He has images of four models of the atom, but they are not in the correct order.
An image at left labeled W with overlapping red and blue balls in the center with a circular fuzzy green cloud outside them. An image at center left labeled X with a purple ball in the center surrounded by overlapping concentric black ovals, each with a small green ball on each of the 6 ovals. An image at center right labeled Y with a large black cross in a purple circle with a black line around the purple, with 10 small green balls dispersed within the purple circle. An image at right labeled Z with a purple center outlined in black with two concentric black circles around the center, the inner circle having 2 small green balls on it and the outer circle having 8 small green balls on it.
In what order should Jerome put these models to show the development from the earliest model of the atom to the most recent one?
Y, X, Z, W
Y, Z, W, X
W, Z, X, Y
W, Y, Z, X
The correct order is W, X, Y, Z.
The first model, W, represents the early atomic model known as the "plum pudding" model proposed by J.J. Thomson. This model suggests that atoms consist of a positively charged cloud with negatively charged electrons dispersed within it.
The second model, X, represents the Rutherford model. This model suggests that atoms have a small, dense, positively charged center called the nucleus, with negatively charged electrons moving in orbits around it.
The third model, Y, represents the Bohr model. This model suggests that electrons move in specific energy levels or shells around the nucleus, similar to planets orbiting the sun.
The fourth model, Z, represents the modern quantum mechanical model. This model suggests that electrons occupy specific energy levels called orbitals, which are represented as regions of high probability and not as fixed orbits.