ELECTRONS

DURING THE 1880S AND ’90S SCIENTISTS SEARCHED CATHODE RAYS FOR THE
CARRIER OF THE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES IN MATTER. THEIR WORK CULMINATED IN THE
DISCOVERY BY ENGLISH PHYSICIST J.J. THOMSON OF THE ELECTRON IN 1897.
Charge to Mass Ratio of Electron •m = mass of an electron in kg = 9.10938356 × 10-31 kilograms.
•e = magnitude of the charge of an electron in coulombs = 1.602 x
e/m = 1.758820 × 1011 C/kg
10-19 coulombs.
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Mass of proton is 1.0072766 a.m.u. or 1.6726 x 10-27 kg.

Charge of proton is 1.6022 x 10-19 coulomb

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The mass of a neutron is 1.674*10-27 kg.

• J.J. THOMSON’S MODEL: PLUM PUDDING MODEL
• ERNEST RUTHERFORD’S MODEL: NUCLEAR MODEL

• NIELS BOHR’S MODEL: PLANETARY MODEL

• ERWIN SCHRÖDINGER’S MODEL: ELECTRON CLOUD MODEL/QUANTUM MODEL

Limitations of Thomson’s
Atomic Model

•Thomson’s atomic model failed to

explain how the positive charge holds
on the electrons inside the atom. It
also failed to explain an atom’s
stability.

•The theory did not mention anything

about the nucleus of an atom.

•It was unable to explain the

scattering experiment of Rutherford.
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•Frequency (ν) – It is the number of waves that pass a
given point in one second. The SI unit is Hertz (Hz, s-1),
named after Heinrich Hertz.

•Wavelength (λ) – Wavelength has the same units as the

length which is the meter (m). But since many waves of
small wavelength make up the electromagnetic
radiation, we use smaller units.

•Wavenumber – It is the number of wavelengths per unit

length. Its units are the reverse of wavelength – m-1 or cm-
1.

•The speed of light (c) – This is the speed at which all types
of electromagnetic radiations, regardless of wavelength
travel in a vacuum (3.0 x 108 ms-1). The wavelength,
frequency, and speed of light are related by the equation:
c=νλ
• ELECTROMAGNETIC
RADIATION FREQUENCY WAVELENGTH

RADIO TELEVISION MICROWAVES RADAR, INFRARED RADIATION

LIGHT ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION X-RAYS GAMMA RAYS
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ACCELERATION