J.J.

Thompson’s Atomic Model

S U BTITLE
Brief Biography about J.J. Thompson
• Joseph John Thompson, born in 1856 was a prominent British scientist
who made significant contributions to our understanding of the atom
and subatomic particles, his work also laid the foundation for the
atomic theory of today.
Thompson’s Atomic Model
• Around 1900, Thomson proposed an atomic model known as the
“plum pudding”. It suggests that atoms are uniform spheres of
positively charged matter(pudding) and Electrons (plum) are
embedded within this positively charged sphere.
• He also proposed that The overall atom remains electrically neutral
due to the balance of positive and negative charges.
The Discovery of the electron
• In 1897, J.J. Thomson conducted experiments with cathode rays,
where he observed that cathode rays were deflected by electric and
magnetic fields.
• Thomson concluded that cathode rays consisted of tiny, negatively
charged particles, which he named “corpuscles” (now known as
electrons).
Challenges faced by Thompson atomic model and the rise of
Rutherford’s atomic model
Despite its initial success, the “plum pudding” model faced challenges:
It couldn’t explain the scattering of alpha particles observed in later
experiments, therefore in 1911, Ernest Rutherford proposed the
Rutherford atomic model where he depicted electrons orbiting a tiny,
positively charged nucleus. Thomson’s “plum pudding” model was
abandoned in favor of Rutherford’s more accurate representation.