Discovery of the Atom

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
How was the crooks tube (spelling?) used in the discovery of the atom?
- Chris Miller (age 15)
Kettle Moraine High School
A:
Crooks invented the Crooks tube that led to the development of the cathode ray tube. This was important in the discovery of the atom because J.J. Thompson used the cathode ray tube when testing out his plum pudding model. The crooks tube was designed to deflect the cathode rays in a magnetic field. The electrons pass through a horizontal slit at the right end and can be seen on the fluorescent screen.

With the use of the cathode ray tube, J.J. Thompson proposed the plum pudding model, that atoms of both positive and negative charges that were evenly distributed made up the atom, when he observed that a stream of negatively charged particles would flow through the tube no matter what gas was used.

Gloria

(published on 10/22/2007)