Joseph John Thomson English Physicist, 1897
The PLUM PUDDING MODEL
Uniform Sphere of Positive charge
This theory Thompson states that the electrons were embedded in a uniform sphere of positive charge, this was called plum pudding because this dessert is similar to a blueberry muffin wherein blueberries are stuck into the muffin just like how the electrons are embedded in a sphere of positive charge.
Atom Structure
Thomson imagined the atom as a sort of "pudding" filled with positively charged material, like a soft mass, in which negatively charged electrons were embedded like "plums." This was one of the first attempts to suggest that atoms were made of smaller particles
POsitive and negative charges
In this model, the positive "pudding" balanced out the negative charges of the electrons, which meant that the atom as a whole was electrically neutral. This was an important step in understanding how atoms could maintain stability despite having charged particles.
Uniform DistriBUTION
Thomson suggested that the electrons were evenly distributed throughout the positively charged material, which helped explain how atoms could hold their shape and structure.
Foundational Ideas
The plum pudding model was significant because it challenged the earlier notion of atoms being indivisible. It opened the door to the idea that atoms were composed of smaller particles, setting the stage for future research.