atomic theory critical thinking questions

Test: 3.01 Atomic Theory Quiz

10 multiple choice questions.

Definition cathode ray tube Choose matching term The region around the nucleus is called which of the following? Which experimental evidence supports the idea that the Plum Pudding model of the atom is not correct? Which experimental set up was first used to detect the electron? Which term best indicates the average mass of an atom of an element? Don't know? 1 of 10

Term Which experimental evidence supports the idea that the Plum Pudding model of the atom is not correct? Choose matching definition 1. atom 2. subatomic particle 3. proton 4. neutron 5. electron 6. atomic nucleus A few positively charged particles shot into gold foil are deflected by the foil. cathode ray tube atomic mass Don't know? 2 of 10

Term Match the scientist with the subatomic particle, atomic concept or atomic structure that he or she discovered. 1. electrons 2. matter is composed of indivisible particles called atoms 3. neutrons 4. atomic nucleus 5. electrons orbit atomic nucleus 6. electrons orbit atomic nucleus only at specific energy levels Choose matching definition A few positively charged particles shot into gold foil are deflected by the foil. protons as all other atoms of that same element 1. atom 2. subatomic particle 3. proton 4. neutron 5. electron 6. atomic nucleus 1. J.J. Thomson 2. Democritus 3. James Chadwick 4. Ernest Rutherford 5. Hantaro Nagaoka 6. Niels Bohr Don't know? 3 of 10

Definition It states that atoms of elements cannot be destroyed or subdivided into smaller particles. Choose matching term Atoms of isotopes can be distinguished from atoms of different elements because isotopes always have the same number of: How does John Dalton's atomic theory explain the law of conservation of matter? Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative charge. Which experimental evidence supports the idea that the Plum Pudding model of the atom is not correct? Don't know? 4 of 10

Definition electron cloud Choose matching term The particles that make up most of the atom's mass and volume are the proton and the neutron. Which experimental set up was first used to detect the electron? The region around the nucleus is called which of the following? Which term best indicates the average mass of an atom of an element? Don't know? 5 of 10

Definition 1. atom 2. subatomic particle 3. proton 4. neutron 5. electron 6. atomic nucleus Choose matching term Atoms of isotopes can be distinguished from atoms of different elements because isotopes always have the same number of: Match each of the following terms with its correct definition. 1. smallest particle of an element that retains all the properties of that element 2. particle found predominantly surrounding the nucleus 3. positively charged particle 4. neutral particle 5. small, negatively charged particle 6. dense, positively charged region that contains most of an atom's mass Which experimental evidence supports the idea that the Plum Pudding model of the atom is not correct? Match the scientist with the subatomic particle, atomic concept or atomic structure that he or she discovered. 1. electrons 2. matter is composed of indivisible particles called atoms 3. neutrons 4. atomic nucleus 5. electrons orbit atomic nucleus 6. electrons orbit atomic nucleus only at specific energy levels Don't know? 6 of 10

Definition Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative charge. Choose matching term The particles that make up most of the atom's mass and volume are the proton and the neutron. Which experimental evidence supports the idea that the Plum Pudding model of the atom is not correct? Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative charge. The region around the nucleus is called which of the following? Don't know? 7 of 10

Term The particles that make up most of the atom's mass and volume are the proton and the neutron. Choose matching definition True False Don't know? 8 of 10

Term Which term best indicates the average mass of an atom of an element? Choose matching definition atomic mass electron cloud cathode ray tube False Don't know? 9 of 10

Term Atoms of isotopes can be distinguished from atoms of different elements because isotopes always have the same number of: Choose matching definition A few positively charged particles shot into gold foil are deflected by the foil. 1. atom 2. subatomic particle 3. proton 4. neutron 5. electron 6. atomic nucleus cathode ray tube protons as all other atoms of that same element Don't know? 10 of 10

Atomic Theory | Definition, Timeline & Examples - Quiz & Worksheet

• Quiz & Worksheet - Atomic Theory Quiz

Choose an answer and hit 'next'. You will receive your score and answers at the end.

Atomic theory was developed out of a need to understand:

As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed.

Already registered? Log in here for access

1. the basic, modern concept of atomic theory did not develop until:.

• The 7th century B.C.
• The 19th century
• The 17th century
• The acceptance of the Heisenberg principle

2. Philosophers depend on contemplation and thought to develop their conclusions. However, scientists depend on:

• Experimental good fortune
• Natural laws and events
• The work of others before them
• The scientific method

About This Quiz & Worksheet

By working through this assessment's multiple choice questions, you will be able to get a full evaluation of your current knowledge regarding atomic theory. The quiz questions will deal with the development and history of atomic theory, as well as some of what the theory entails.

Quiz & Worksheet Goals

This quiz will assess your understanding of the following:

• Why atomic theory was developed
• Modern concept of atomic theory
• Scientific equivalent of contemplation and thought for conclusions
• Organization of atoms into elements
• Involvement of electrons in atomic theory

Skills Practiced

• Distinguishing differences - compare and contrast topics from the lesson, such as the difference between how philosophers and scientists reach conclusions
• Information recall - access the knowledge you've gained regarding atomic theory, including its history and development over time
• Critical thinking - apply relevant concepts to examine information about atomic theory in a different light
• Knowledge application - use your knowledge of atomic theory to answer questions about both its history as well as the scientific principles that govern it

Additional Learning

For more in-depth information about this quiz's material, access its related lesson called Atomic Theory: Definition, History & Timeline. The lesson goes over information about the following:

• Simplistic description of matter according to Aristotle
• Aristotle, Plato, and Democritus on atomic theory
• Developments of atomic theory via Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle
• Explanation of finding total pressure from the sum of partial pressures
• Total mass and information about electron density mapping
• Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

32 chapters | 347 quizzes

• Atom | Definition, Structure & Examples Quiz
• Atomic & Mass Number | Overview & Difference Quiz
• Early Atomic Theory | History, Scientists & Models Quiz
• Atomic Mass vs Atomic Number vs Atomic Weight | Meaning & Example Quiz
• Electron Configuration | Overview, Levels & Patterns Quiz
• Hund's Rule, the Pauli Exclusion Principle & the Aufbau Principle Quiz
• The Law of Conservation of Mass | Definition, Formula & Examples Quiz
• Paramagnetic vs. Diamagnetic | Definition & Examples Quiz
• Quantum Numbers on the Periodic Table | Definition & Overview Quiz
• De Broglie Equation | Overview, Hypothesis & Examples Quiz
• Ionic Bond | Definition, Properties & Examples Quiz
• How Compounds and Molecules Are Built From Elements Quiz
• Polar vs. Nonpolar Covalent Bonds: Examples | What are Polar & Nonpolar Covalent Bonds? Quiz
• Using Atoms and Ions to Determine Molecular Formulas Quiz

Previous Lesson

• Elements in Chemistry | Overview & Examples Quiz

Current Lesson

• Atomic Theory | Definition, Timeline & Examples Quiz

Next Lesson

• J.J. Thomson | Biography, Discovery & Facts Quiz

Explore our library of over 88,000 lessons

• Foreign Language
• Social Science
• See All College Courses
• Common Core
• High School
• See All High School Courses
• College & Career Guidance Courses
• College Placement Exams
• Entrance Exams
• General Test Prep
• K-8 Courses
• Skills Courses
• Teacher Certification Exams
• See All Other Courses
• Create a Goal
• Create custom courses
• Get your questions answered

• Games & Quizzes
• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center

• Is mathematics a physical science?
• Why does physics work in SI units?
• How is the atomic number of an atom defined?
• Who was Democritus?
• What is Democritus known for?

atomic theory

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• North Dakota State University - The Atomic Theory
• Academia - Atomic Theory
• Florida State University - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry - Atomic Theory and Structure
• Chemistry LibreTexts - Atomic Theory
• BCCampus Publishing - Atomic Theory

atomic theory , ancient philosophical speculation that all things can be accounted for by innumerable combinations of hard, small, indivisible particles (called atoms ) of various sizes but of the same basic material; or the modern scientific theory of matter according to which the chemical elements that combine to form the great variety of substances consist themselves of aggregations of similar subunits (atoms) possessing nuclear and electron substructure characteristic of each element. The ancient atomic theory was proposed in the 5th century bce by the Greek philosophers Leucippus and Democritus and was revived in the 1st century bce by the Roman philosopher and poet Lucretius . The modern atomic theory, which has undergone continuous refinement, began to flourish at the beginning of the 19th century with the work of the English chemist John Dalton . The experiments of the British physicist Ernest Rutherford in the early 20th century on the scattering of alpha particles from a thin gold foil established the Rutherford atomic model of an atom as consisting of a central, positively charged nucleus containing nearly all the mass and surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged planetlike electrons .

With the advent of quantum mechanics and the Schrödinger equation in the 1920s, atomic theory became a precise mathematical science . Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger devised a partial differential equation for the quantum dynamics of atomic electrons, including the electrostatic repulsion of all the negatively charged electrons from each other and their attraction to the positively charged nucleus. The equation can be solved exactly for an atom containing only a single electron ( hydrogen ), and very close approximations can be found for atoms containing two or three electrons ( helium and lithium , respectively). To the extent that the Schrödinger equation can be solved for more-complex cases, atomic theory is capable of predicting from first principles the properties of all atoms and their interactions. The recent availability of high-speed supercomputers to solve the Schrödinger equation has made possible accurate calculations of properties for atoms and molecules with ever larger numbers of electrons. Precise agreement with experiment is obtained if small corrections due to the effects of the theory of special relativity and quantum electrodynamics are also included.

Critical Thinking

To allow the student to critically investigate the issues surrounding the atomic age.

Any related science and/or history textbook. Additional research might be required by each student to prepare their answer.

Questions like "Should we have dropped the atomic bombs on Japan?," "Should we have built the H-bomb?," and many others could be asked. The program will provide most of the information resource to answer this exercise. This would allow the introduction of discussion of the atomic age and its consequences on a variety of disciplines.

Sample questions:

• "Should we have dropped the atomic bombs on Japan?"
• "Should we have built the H-bomb?"
• "Was the arms race preventable?"
• "Are nuclear weapons a viable option today?"
• "Could we use nuclear weapons without starting World War III?"
• "Can one be a moral weapons designer?"
• "How many weapons are enough?"
• "As third world nations develop nuclear capabilities, how will that change the world power structure?"
• "Was the bomb's development inevitable?"

Critical Thinking Items

1.1 physics: definitions and applications.

• It describes how speed affects different observers’ measurements of time and space.
• It describes how different parts of the universe are far apart and do not affect each other.
• It describes how people think of other people’s views from their own frame of reference.
• It describes how a frame of reference is necessary to describe position or motion.

Can classical physics be used to accurately describe a satellite moving at a speed of 7500 m/s? Explain why or why not.

• No, because the satellite is moving at a speed much smaller than the speed of the light and is not in a strong gravitational field.
• No, because the satellite is moving at a speed much smaller than the speed of the light and is in a strong gravitational field.
• Yes, because the satellite is moving at a speed much smaller than the speed of the light and it is not in a strong gravitational field.
• Yes, because the satellite is moving at a speed much smaller than the speed of the light and is in a strong gravitational field.
• Physics is involved in structural strength, dimensions, etc., of the room.
• Physics is involved in the air composition inside the room.
• Physics is involved in the desk arrangement inside the room.
• Physics is involved in the behavior of living beings inside the room.
• atomic theory
• nuclear physics
• quantum mechanics
• general relativity

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, how could you effectively travel many years into Earth’s future, but not age very much yourself?

• by traveling at a speed equal to the speed of light
• by traveling at a speed faster than the speed of light
• by traveling at a speed much slower than the speed of light
• by traveling at a speed slightly slower than the speed of light

1.2 The Scientific Methods

• The water in the stream turns brown because molecular forces between water molecules are stronger than mud molecules
• The water in the stream turns brown because of the breakage of a weak chemical bond with the hydrogen atom in the water molecule.
• The water in the stream turns brown because it picks up dirt from the bank as the water level increases when it rains.
• The water in the stream turns brown because the density of the water increases with increase in water level.

Light travels as waves at an approximate speed of 300,000,000 m/s (186,000 mi/s). Designers of devices that use mirrors and lenses model the traveling light by straight lines, or light rays. Describe why it would be useful to model the light as rays of light instead of describing them accurately as electromagnetic waves.

• A model can be constructed in such a way that the speed of light decreases.
• Studying a model makes it easier to analyze the path that the light follows.
• Studying a model will help us to visualize why light travels at such great speed.
• Modeling cannot be used to study traveling light as our eyes cannot track the motion of light.

A friend says that he doesn’t trust scientific explanations because they are just theories, which are basically educated guesses. What could you say to convince him that scientific theories are different from the everyday use of the word theory?

• A theory is a scientific explanation that has been repeatedly tested and supported by many experiments.
• A theory is a hypothesis that has been tested and supported by some experiments.
• A theory is a set of educated guesses, but at least one of the guesses remain true in each experiment.
• A theory is a set of scientific explanations that has at least one experiment in support of it.
• The structure of any part of the broccoli is similar to the whole structure of the broccoli.
• Ghosts are the souls of people who have died.
• The average speed of air molecules increases with temperature.
• A vegetarian is less likely to be affected by night blindness.
• It can be proved scientifically because it is a testable hypothesis.
• It cannot be proved scientifically because it is not a testable hypothesis.
• It can be proved scientifically because it is not a testable hypothesis.
• It cannot be proved scientifically because it is a testable hypothesis.

1.3 The Language of Physics: Physical Quantities and Units

A marathon runner completes a 42.188 km course in 2 h , 30 min , and 12 s . There is an uncertainty of 25 m in the distance traveled and an uncertainty of 1 s in the elapsed time.

• Calculate the percent uncertainty in the distance.
• Calculate the uncertainty in the elapsed time.
• What is the average speed in meters per second?
• What is the uncertainty in the average speed?
• 0.059 % , 0.01 % , 0.468 m/s , 0.0003 m/s
• 0.059 % , 0.01 % , 0.468 m/s , 0.07 m/s
• 0.59 % , 8.33 % , 4.681 m/s , 0.003 m/s
• 0.059 % , 0.01 % , 4.681 m/s , 0.003 m/s
• 143.6 ± 0.002 cm 3
• 143.6 ± 0.003 cm 3
• 143.6 ± 0.005 cm 3
• 143.6 ± 0.1 cm 3

What would be the slope for a line passing through the two points below?

Point 1: (1, 0.1) Point 2: (7, 26.8)

• 11.4 ± 0.1 cm 3
• 11.4 ± 0.6 cm 3
• 11.4 ± 0.8 cm 3
• 11.4 ± 0.10 cm 3

Calculate the approximate number of atoms in a bacterium. Assume that the average mass of an atom in the bacterium is ten times the mass of a hydrogen atom. (Hint—The mass of a hydrogen atom is on the order of 10 −27 kg and the mass of a bacterium is on the order of 10 −15 kg .)

• 10 10 atoms
• 10 11 atoms
• 10 12 atoms
• 10 13 atoms

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute Texas Education Agency (TEA). The original material is available at: https://www.texasgateway.org/book/tea-physics . Changes were made to the original material, including updates to art, structure, and other content updates.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: Physics
• Publication date: Mar 26, 2020
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction
• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-critical-thinking-items

© Jan 19, 2024 Texas Education Agency (TEA). The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.