We are all familiar with the ‘solar system’ model of the atom that we used at GCSE to explain the properties of elements and compounds and their reactions (very successfully) – but where did it come from and where is the evidence?
During the early 20th century we can see that the ‘classical’ model of the atom was being upgraded to incorporate quantum mechanical ideas that better explained the behaviour of electrons, and this leads us to a refined model in which electrons not only exist in discrete energy levels but also the existence of orbitals and sub-orbitals …