* JJ Thomson *
a) How does his experiment of cathode ray tube relates to electrostatics?
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JJ Thomson's experiment with the cathode ray tube is related to electrostatics because it provided evidence for the existence of negatively charged particles, which are now known as electrons. This experiment played a crucial role in developing our understanding of the structure of atoms and the nature of electric charge.
To explain the connection between the cathode ray tube experiment and electrostatics, let's break it down into steps:
1. Setup: Thomson's experiment involved a glass tube containing low-pressure gas. Inside the tube, he placed two metal plates - an anode (positively charged) and a cathode (negatively charged). The electrical charges on the plates create an electric field between them.
2. Electric Field: The presence of the electric field between the anode and cathode led to the acceleration of charged particles inside the tube. This field represents the fundamental concept of electrostatics, which studies stationary or slowly moving electrical charges at rest.
3. Cathode Rays: When high voltage was applied across the cathode and anode, a glow was observed near the cathode. Thomson hypothesized that this glow was caused by "cathode rays" - streams of charged particles flowing from the cathode to the anode.
4. Deflection by Electric and Magnetic Fields: Thomson further discovered that when electric or magnetic fields were applied perpendicular to the path of cathode rays, they would be deflected. This deflection showed that cathode rays carried a negative charge because they were attracted to the positive plate and repelled by the negative one.
5. Properties of Electrons: From these observations, Thomson concluded that cathode rays were streams of negatively charged particles, which we now know as electrons. This experiment provided the first direct evidence of the existence of subatomic particles and their role in electrical phenomena.
So, in summary, Thomson's cathode ray tube experiment is related to electrostatics because it demonstrated the behavior of charged particles in electric fields, leading to the discovery of electrons and the fundamental principles of electrostatics.