Particle Discovery Through Thomson's Experiments

What was discovered as a direct result of Thomson's experiments with gas discharge tubes?

Select one:

a) The electron

b) The proton

c) The neutron

Answer:

a) The electron

Thomson's experiments with gas discharge tubes led to the discovery of the electron, a negatively charged subatomic particle. This finding was a direct result of his work with cathode ray tubes, which showed that these rays were made of negatively charged particles. This discovery significantly contributed to our understanding of atomic structure.

Thomson observed that the gas in the tubes emitted rays that originated from the cathode (negative electrode) and traveled towards the anode (positive electrode). These rays, now known as cathode rays, exhibited certain properties that led Thomson to propose the existence of a new particle called the electron. Thomson conducted further experiments to study the properties of cathode rays. He found that the rays were deflected by electric and magnetic fields, indicating that they carried a negative charge. By measuring the extent of the deflection, Thomson was able to determine the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron.