J.J. Thomson's Cathode Ray Tube Experiment

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J.J. Thomson's Cathode Ray Tube Experiment was a pivotal scientific study conducted in 1897. It involved using a glass tube with electrodes to generate cathode rays, which were streams of particles moving from the negatively charged cathode to the positively charged anode. By applying electric and magnetic fields, Thomson demonstrated that these rays were composed of negatively charged particles, later named electrons. This discovery challenged the prevailing view that atoms were indivisible and laid the groundwork for modern atomic theory. Thomson's experiments consisted of three main parts: demonstrating that cathode rays carried electric charge, showing they were negatively charged, and measuring their mass-to-charge ratio. He found that these particles were much smaller than atoms and were a universal component of all atoms. This led to the "plum pudding model" of the atom, where electrons were embedded in a positive charge. Thomson's work earned him a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906 and marked a significant milestone in understanding atomic structure.