Article published in Australian Journal of Chemistry, 21 July 2025
There are differing views as to whether the historical context of the chemistry we teach should be included in chemistry instruction, or in a separate ‘science history’ course. However, wherever it is taught, there can be tremendous opportunity in summarising chemical discoveries in our chemistry teaching.
Equally, valuable opportunities can be lost in the telling. For example, many current textbooks correctly ascribe the ‘discovery of the nucleus’ to Rutherford, Geiger and Marsden, specifically in the context of the detection of back-scattered ⍺-particles, reported between 19091 and 1911.2,3 However, they jump from that statement to a description of the nucleus being positively charged and containing protons and neutrons. None of this is ‘wrong’ – it just didn’t happen quite like that. Such a description suggests, incorrectly, that the concept of the nucleus, the ‘Rutherford nucleus’ emerged fully fledged contemporaneously with the Rutherford, Geiger and Marsden experiments.
We demonstrate, using selected quotations from the contemporary literature, that the ‘incorrect’ model of the nucleus persisted for almost one-quarter of a century. This illustrates several important pedagogical principles. Firstly, showing students that the evolution of chemical concepts is not a series of lightbulb moments. Secondly, the importance of careful observation and of not ignoring the seemingly inexplicable, thirdly, that there is great benefit in testing one’s understanding, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, that the ‘wrong’ ideas can have real value. Significantly then, students can understand that the chemistry we are teaching is not static and ‘immutable’, but that it is dynamic and evolving.
Read the full article in Australian Journal of Chemistry
Image: Science Museum Group. Portrait Photograph of Rutherford and Geiger. 1982-784 Science Museum Group Collection Online. Accessed 21 October 2025. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co66776/portrait-photograph-of-rutherford-and-geiger.
