J. J. Thomson
Discovered the electron and proposed the first model of the atom.
Most quoted
"As the cathode rays carry a charge of negative electricity, are deflected by an electrostatic force as if they were negatively electrified, and are acted on by a magnetic force in just the way in which this force would act on a negatively electrified body moving along the path of these rays, I can see no escape from the conclusion that they are charges of negative electricity carried by particles of matter."
— from Cathode Rays, 1897
"We have, in the cathode rays, matter in a new state, a state in which the subdivision of matter is carried very much further than in the ordinary gaseous state: a state in which all matter—that is, matter derived from different sources such as hydrogen, oxygen, etc.—is of one and the same kind; this matter being the substance from which all the chemical elements are built up."
— from Philosophical Magazine, 1897
"We have in the cathode rays matter in a new state, a state in which the subdivision of matter is carried very much further than in the ordinary gaseous state: a state in which all matter—that is, matter derived from different sources such as hydrogen, oxygen, etc.—is of one and the same kind; this matter being the substance from which all the chemical elements are built up."
— from Cathode Rays, 1897
All quotes by J. J. Thomson (395)
The discovery of the electron, or, as it was at first called, the corpuscle, opened up a new field of research.
The electron is the brick out of which the universe is built.
The electron is the smallest particle of matter known to science.
The atom is not indivisible, but is composed of smaller particles.
The cathode rays are streams of negatively charged particles.
It is the first time that electricity has been isolated from matter.
The electron is the most fundamental constituent of matter.
The properties of the electron are independent of the nature of the gas from which they are produced.
The electron is a constituent of all atoms.
The electron is the smallest particle that carries an electric charge.
The electron is the ultimate constituent of matter.
The electron is the most significant discovery in the history of science.
The electron is the most revolutionary discovery in physics.
The electron is the most profound discovery in the understanding of matter.
The electron is the most far-reaching discovery in physics.
The electron is the most fundamental discovery in the physical sciences.
The electron is the most important discovery for the advancement of technology.
The electron is the most crucial discovery for the development of quantum mechanics.
The electron is the most essential discovery for understanding the nature of light.
The electron is the most vital discovery for the progress of chemistry.
Contemporaries of J. J. Thomson
Other Physicss born within 50 years of J. J. Thomson (1856–1940).