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 electron is the most significant discovery for the field of materials science.
The electron is the most impactful discovery for the study of atomic structure.
The electron is the most fundamental discovery for the understanding of electricity.
The electron is the most important discovery for the advancement of electronics.
The electron is the most crucial discovery for the development of modern technology.
The electron is the most essential discovery for the progress of scientific research.
The electron is the most vital discovery for the understanding of the universe.
The electron is the most significant discovery for the future of science.
The electron is the most impactful discovery for the advancement of human knowledge.
The electron is the most profound discovery for the understanding of the natural world.
The electron is the most far-reaching discovery for the progress of civilization.
The electron is the most fundamental discovery for the betterment of humanity.
As we have seen, the atom is not the ultimate constituent of matter, but is itself a structure of still smaller parts.
The electron is the most fundamental thing in the universe, except for the universe itself.
I have been asked to define the electron. I cannot. I can only describe its properties.
The electron is not an atom; it is a constituent of an atom.
It is not often that one has the good fortune to discover a new particle.
The electron is a very small thing, but it has a very large influence.
The atom is not indivisible, as we once thought. It is a very complex structure.
The electron is a unit of electricity, and it is also a unit of matter.
Contemporaries of J. J. Thomson
Other Physicss born within 50 years of J. J. Thomson (1856–1940).