Lesson 5.1.1.3

5.1.1.3 The development of the model of the atom (common content with physics) Quiz: AQA Combined Science, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 5.1.1.3, The development of the model of the atom (common content with physics): 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Combined Science (8464), Unit 8: Atomic structure and the periodic table, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Before electrons were discovered, how were atoms viewed by scientists?

    • Charged spheres
    • Empty shells
    • Indivisible spheres
    • Solid rings

  2. Which atomic model was proposed immediately after electrons were discovered?

    • Plum pudding model
    • Quantum model
    • Bohr model
    • Nuclear model

  3. Which feature did the plum pudding model include for the atom?

    • Solid spheres
    • Empty space
    • Embedded electrons
    • Central nucleus

  4. What major conclusion came from the alpha particle scattering experiment?

    • atoms are solid spheres
    • mass concentrated centrally
    • charge is spread evenly
    • electrons orbit in shells

  5. Who adapted the nuclear model by suggesting electrons orbit at specific distances?

    • James Chadwick
    • Carl Woese
    • Niels Bohr
    • J.J. Thomson

  6. What were the positive particles within the nucleus named?

    • neutrons
    • protons
    • positrons
    • electrons

  7. Who provided the evidence for neutrons within the nucleus?

    • J.J. Thomson
    • Dmitri Mendeleev
    • Niels Bohr
    • James Chadwick

  8. About how long after the nucleus was accepted did the evidence for neutrons arrive?

    • about 2 years
    • about 20 years
    • about 100 years
    • about 5 years

  9. Why was the plum pudding atomic model replaced by the nuclear model?

    • Discovery of isotopes
    • Electrolysis results
    • Neutron calculations
    • Alpha scattering evidence

  10. How does the nuclear model differ from the plum pudding model?

    • charge concentrated centrally
    • mass is spread evenly
    • electrons have positive mass
    • atoms cannot be divided

  11. What did Niels Bohr's atomic model introduce about electrons?

    • orbit at specific distances
    • float freely in a sphere
    • have no electrical charge
    • reside inside the nucleus

  12. Are details of experimental work supporting Bohr's model required for GCSE?

    • no
    • yes
    • only for chemistry
    • only for triple science

  13. Are the details of James Chadwick's experimental work required for GCSE physics?

    • No
    • Yes
    • Optionally
    • Always

  14. Which atomic model features negative charges scattered through a positive sphere?

    • Bohr model
    • Dalton model
    • Nuclear model
    • Plum pudding model

  15. What can new experimental evidence cause a scientific model to do?

    • Change or replace
    • Become a law
    • Lose acceptance entirely
    • Remain unchanged

  16. What is the charge of the nucleus in the nuclear model?

    • negative
    • neutral
    • variable
    • positive

  17. Where are electrons located relative to the nucleus in the nuclear model?

    • Orbiting outside
    • Spread through mass
    • Inside the nucleus
    • Stuck to protons

  18. What is the charge and composition of the atomic nucleus?

    • Neutral with electrons
    • Positive with protons
    • Negative with neutrons
    • Positive with electrons

  19. What does the historical development of atomic models primarily demonstrate about scientific theories?

    • Theories change with evidence
    • Theories never change
    • Theories require no proof
    • Theories are always final

  20. Which subatomic particle was discovered last in atomic history?

    • electron
    • neutron
    • proton
    • nucleus

All AQA Combined Science quizzes