Rutherford Model - Symbolism

Symbolism

See also Bohr model, which applies just as well to the section below.

Rutherford's model deferred to the idea of many electrons in rings, per Nagaoka. However, once Niels Bohr modified this view into a picture of just a few planet-like electrons for light atoms, the Rutherford-Bohr model caught the imagination of the public. It has since continually been used as a symbol for atoms and even for "atomic" energy (even though this is more properly considered nuclear energy). Examples of its use over the past century include:

• The logo of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, which was in part responsible for its later usage in relation to nuclear fission technology in particular.
• The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency is a Rutherford atom, enclosed in olive branches.
• The US minor league baseball Albuquerque Isotopes' logo is a Rutherford atom, with the electron orbits forming an A.
• A similar symbol, the Atomic whirl, was chosen as the symbol for the American Atheists, and has come to be used as a symbol of atheism in general.
• The Unicode Miscellaneous Symbols codepoint U+269B (⚛) uses a Rutherford atom.
• On maps, it is generally used to indicate a nuclear power installation.