Causes for the Failure of Thomson’s Atomic Model

Sir J. J. Thomson attempted to describe the interior atomic structure using his Plum Pudding Model. The inside atomic model is described by Thomson’s Atomic Model, which is a theoretical model. J. J. Thomson was a well-known physicist who has been attributed with discovering ‘Electrons,’ for which he received the Nobel Prize. For his procedure, he employed a Cathode Ray Tube. An atom, according to his theory, contains a large number of electrons, each 2000 size lower than a proton.

According to Thomson’s theory, the atom has a structure akin to plum pudding. The electrons seemed to him like dry fruit inside a positively charged sphere, symbolizing the pudding. Positive ions are spread throughout the edible region of the watermelon, while electrons are studded throughout the spherical-like seeds, as in watermelon. The electrons could have been thrown into a positive-charged sphere at random. According to Thomas, the opposing charges were of equal magnitude, cancelling each other’s impacts and neutralizing the atom.

His calculations revealed that the greater the Q, and hence the better the stability, the more the electrons inside a positive cloud. Simple systems appeared to merge to produce more complicated systems, for example, two positive clouds with one electron each coalesced to make one positive cloud with two electrons. That, however, did not occur. On the contrary, whenever two smaller atoms merged to form a bigger one, energy was released.

The reasons for the Thomson model’s failure

Thomson characterized the negatively charged ions he observed as minute entities while studying the magnetic and electric characteristics of cathode rays released from a cathode ray. Electrons were eventually given to these particles. He realized these particles were minuscule – many orders of magnitude smaller than that of a hydrogen atom – when he analysed the bulk ratio of these minute things. He now believes that positive charges are present in the atoms, despite the fact that the atoms are electrically neutral. These positive charges, he argued, are the replacement for the negative charges, resulting in a net-zero charge for the entire atom. Therefore, like any other model or theory, there are certain limitations of Thomson’s atomic model too. 

Conclusion

Thomson’s concept is based on a uniformly dense, positively charged cloud. The cloud attracts electrons to its core, while the resistance from other electrons pushes them away. Whenever these two forces are balanced, the electrons find equilibrium in the most stable configuration possible, regardless of the amount of electrons present. The effort, Q, necessary to dissociate all enclosed charges from one another for infinite distances, was calculated by Thomson to examine the reliability of these arrangements. The more secure the configuration, the more work it takes to break it.

Although Thomson’s atomic model was inaccurate and have had a few flaws, it laid the groundwork for several resulting atomic structure models. It is one of the core models that set the way for the significant and revolutionary achievements that followed.