Final answer:
According to J. J. Thomson, the shape of the atom can be likened to a sphere (option C) , specifically his plum pudding model which represents the atom as electrons within a spherical volume of positive charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The shape of the atom according to J. J. Thomson is most akin to a sphere. Thomson proposed the plum pudding model, which likened the atom to plum pudding, an English dessert where negatively charged 'plums' (electrons) were embedded within a positively charged 'pudding' (spherical volume of positive charge). This model suggested a uniform sphere of positive charge with electrons dotted throughout, like raisins in a spherical plum pudding. Later models, such as Rutherford's nuclear model and Bohr's model, revised the structure of the atom with electrons orbiting the nucleus, similar to planets orbiting the sun.