Comparative Study of Fundamental Particles

Name of
the
Relative Relative scientists
Particle Symbol Charge Mass
charge mass associated
with the
discovery

J.J
Thomson
called them
9.11 × 10-31 Kg
-1.602 × 10-19 “steams of
(S.I)
C (S.I) negative
Electron e, e  , 01e -1 9.11 × 10-28 g 1/1838
-4.8 × 10-10 corpuscles”.
(CGS)
e.s.u (CGS) J Stoney
5.483 × 10-4 u
suggested
the name
‘electrons’.

Goldstein
(1886)
+1.602 × 10-19 1.6725 × 10-27
The name
C (S.I) Kg (S.I)
Proton P, 11 H +1 1 was
+-4.8 × 10-10 1.6725× 10-24 g
proposed by
e.s.u (CGS) (CGS) 1.007 u
Rutherford
(1911)

1.675 × 10-27 Kg
(S.I) J. Chadwick
Neutron n, 10n 0 0 1
1.675× 10-24 g (1932)
(CGS) 1.007 u

Thomson’s Model
J.J. Thomson proposed his model of atom in 1898
According to Thomson s model of the atom:
1. An atom consists of a uniform sphere (of atomic
dimensions) in which its total positive charge is
uniformly distributed and negatively charged
electrons are embedded in it so that the mutual
repulsive force in between the electrons is exactly
 counterbalanced by the attractive force acting
between the positively charged sphere and
electrons.
2. The positive and negative charges in an atom are
equal in magnitude, due to which atom is electrically
neutral.
3. The model is given different names such as raisin
pudding, plum pudding or watermelon model.
4. The important characteristic of this model is that the
whole mass of the atom is evenly distributed in the
sphere.

Drawbacks of Thomson’s Model

1. The model cannot explain the observed atomic
spectra.
2. The model was inconsistent with the Rutherford’s
alpha particles scattering experiments. Because
Rutherford proved that the uniform distribution of
positive charges in a sphere of atomic dimension as
assumed by Thomson was wrong.