Final answer:
J.J. Thomson discovered the electron through his experiments with cathode rays. He used the Cathode Ray Tube experiment to make this discovery.
Step-by-step explanation:
J.J. Thomson discovered the electron through his experiments with cathode rays. In a device called a cathode ray tube, he observed that an electric field would deflect the cathode rays towards the positive electrode, indicating that these rays were composed of negative charges. Thomson concluded that these particles were electrons, present in the atoms of all elements. The experiment he used to discover the electron was the Cathode Ray Tube experiment.