Question

Why was Thomas's plum pudding model a significant departure from previous atomic models?

A. It proposed electrons orbiting the nucleus.
B. It introduced the concept of quarks.
C. It suggested a continuous distribution of positive charge.
D. It explained the existence of isotopes.

Answer 1

The plum pudding model proposed by J.J. Thomson was a significant departure from previous atomic models because it suggested a continuous distribution of positive charge.

Step-by-step explanation:

The plum pudding model proposed by J.J. Thomson was a significant departure from previous atomic models because it suggested a continuous distribution of positive charge. In this model, the atom was compared to a plum pudding dessert, with the positive charges representing the pudding and the electrons embedded in it like plums. The positive charge was thought to be spread throughout the atom, rather than concentrated in a nucleus as later discovered by Ernest Rutherford.