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 person who can think of a new experiment is a genius.
Electricity appears to be a form of motion.
The study of the discharge of electricity through gases at low pressure has led to the discovery of new phenomena.
We are face to face with a new kind of ray.
The electron is no more indivisible than the atom itself.
In the discovery of the electron, we have found the key to the structure of the atom.
Nature is not economical in her methods.
The progress of science is marked by the discovery of new particles.
I feel as if I had only just begun to do physics.
The cathode rays carry a negative charge.
Experiment is the best test of theory.
The atom is no longer indivisible.
Science demands patience and perseverance.
The electron's mass is about 1/1836 that of the hydrogen atom.
In science, one must be prepared for surprises.
The discharge tube is a window into the subatomic world.
My work on cathode rays has opened a new chapter in physics.
Life is too short to waste on trivial pursuits.
The velocity of the cathode rays is very great.
Teaching is the greatest of all professions.
Contemporaries of J. J. Thomson
Other Physicss born within 50 years of J. J. Thomson (1856–1940).