Thomson plum pudding model

E656398

The Thomson plum pudding model was an early atomic theory proposing that negatively charged electrons were embedded within a diffuse, positively charged "pudding" that made up most of the atom.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf atomic model
historical scientific theory
alsoKnownAs Thomson atomic model NERFINISHED
plum pudding model NERFINISHED
appliesTo all atoms
assumes atom is a sphere of positive charge
electrons are much lighter than the positive matrix
electrons are stationary or slowly moving within the positive matrix
electrons can move within the positive sphere
mass of atom is largely associated with positive charge distribution
negative electrons are embedded in a diffuse positive charge
no central nucleus
overall atom is electrically neutral
positive charge is spread out continuously
positive charge occupies most of atomic volume
basedOn discovery of the electron
cannotExplain discrete atomic spectra
existence of a small dense nucleus
large-angle scattering of alpha particles
challengedBy Rutherford gold foil experiment NERFINISHED
comparesElectronsTo plums in a pudding
comparesPositiveChargeTo pudding
describes structure of the atom
educationalLevel high school physics
introductory university physics
electronDiscoveredBy J. J. Thomson NERFINISHED
electronDiscoveryYear 1897
falsifiedBy alpha particle scattering experiments
field atomic physics
physical chemistry
historicalPeriod early 20th century
illustrates transition from indivisible atoms to subatomic structure
influenced development of later atomic models
languageOfOriginalPublication English
precedes Rutherford nuclear model NERFINISHED
predicts small deflections of alpha particles only
proposedBy J. J. Thomson NERFINISHED
proposedInYear 1904
relatedConcept cathode rays
electron
nuclear atom
replacedPreviousViewOf indivisible solid atom of Dalton
status superseded
supersededBy Bohr model of the atom NERFINISHED
Rutherford model of the atom NERFINISHED
usedAs teaching example in history of science

Referenced by (1)

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Rutherford model of the atom replaced Thomson plum pudding model