JJ Thomson was born on 18 December 1856 in Cheetham Hill, England, near Manchester. His father was a bookseller who expected Thomson to become an engineer. When an apprenticeship with an engineering firm could not be found, Thomson was sent to spend his time at Owens College at the age of 14. In 1876, JJ Thompson received a scholarship to attend Trinity College, Cambridge to study mathematics. His research on cathode rays led to the discovery of the electron and he pursued further innovations in the exploration of atomic structure. Additionally, Thomson won the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics, among many honors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get original essay He died on August 30, 1940. British physicist J. J. Thomson performed a series of experiments in 1897 designed to study the nature of electrical discharge in a high-vacuum cathode ray tube, an area studied by many scientists at the time . Thomson interpreted the deflection of rays by electrically charged plates and magnets as evidence for the existence of "bodies much smaller than atoms" (electrons) which, according to his calculations, had a very high value for the charge-to-mass ratio. years; however, he is most credited for his work with cathode rays, which are incandescent beams of light that follow an electrical discharge in a high vacuum tube. Thompson's research into cathode rays led to his contributions to atomic theory, such as the discovery of electrons which he initially called "corpuscles", as well as developing the existing model of the atom at the time by creating a "plum pudding"-like model . The negative electrons represented the raisins in the pudding and the dough contained the positive charge. Thomson's model of the atom explained some of the electrical properties of the atom due to electrons, but failed to recognize the positive charges in the atom as particles. JJ Thompson studied cathode rays, devising better equipment and methods than those used previously. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay When he passed the rays through a vacuum, he was able to measure the angle at which they were deflected and calculate the ratio of the electric charge to the mass of the particles. He discovered that the ratio was the same regardless of the type of gas used, which led him to conclude that the particles that made up the gases were universal. Hence, JJ Thompson contributed a lot to atomic structure and atomic theory through his research and studies on cathode rays. Works Cited Bragg, W. H. (1941). Sir Joseph John Thomson, OM, FRS Biographical Memoirs of the Members of the Royal Society, 1, 253-267. Cambridge University Library. (n.d.). J. J. Thomson (1856-1940). Retrieved from https://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/departments/rare-books/collections/scientific-revolution/modern-physics/jj-thomson-1856-1940Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021). JJ Thomson. In the Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/JJ-ThomsonFowler, D. A. (2008). JJ Thomson and the discovery of the electron. Physics Today, 61(4), 41-46. Gillies, D. A. (2008). JJ Thomson: Discoverer of the electron. Isis, 99(2), 367-378.Hellemans, A., & Bunch, B.H. (1988). The Timetables of Science: A Timeline of the Most Important People and Events in the History of Science. Touchstone. MacLeod, R. M. (2003). JJ Thomson and the discovery of the electron: from corpuscles to particles. Physics in Perspective, 5(4), 446-478. Nobel Media AB. (2021). JJ Thomson – Facts. Retrieved from https://www.nobelprize.org/laureate/1906/thomson/facts/Parson, D. F. (1973). The discovery of the electron: II. The first, 14(5), 441-449.