Why Teach Current Atomic Models: Particle Physics

This short presentation highlights the importance of teachers continuing to build the mode of the atom from electrons, protons, and neutrons, the one generally adopted in the classroom, to t... See More

This short presentation highlights the importance of teachers continuing to build the mode of the atom from electrons, protons, and neutrons, the one generally adopted in the classroom, to the current model of the atom that aligns with current understanding of three fundamental forces and fundamental particles, including quarks. It is vital for students to have a complete picture of the structure of the atom and the article states that students are better able to understand the exchange of photons between charges better than understanding invisible lines of force encountered in classical presentations of the atomic model. This is a great incentive to open the door to current thinking and model building and not to stop with classical views extant in the 1930s.