Question

One reason JJ Thomson is important to study because...?

a) He discovered the structure of the atom.
b) He was a famous poet.
c) He won multiple Olympic gold medals.
d) He was the first astronaut to walk on the moon.

Answer 1

J.J. Thomson is important to study because he discovered the electron and proposed the plum pudding model of the atom, which led to a deeper understanding that atoms have substructure. His findings earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906.

Step-by-step explanation:

One reason J.J. Thomson is important to study is because he discovered the structure of the atom. Thomson performed pivotal experiments that led to his discovery of the electron in 1897, using differing gases in discharge tubes and other methods like the photoelectric effect. This groundbreaking discovery was complemented by his plum pudding model, which posited that electrons were embedded within a positively charged substrate.

Thomson's work was so influential that he was awarded the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions. His discoveries were critical in establishing that the atom has a substructure, which was an astonishing concept at the time, given the prevailing belief that atoms were indivisible particles. Thomson's work paved the way for future atomic models and fundamentally changed our understanding of matter's atomic composition.

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