Pranav Jha said:Why couldn't Thompson just let one electron fly across the gap before disconnecting the battery and turning off the beam, and then measure the amount of charge deposited on the anode,thus allowing him to measure the charge of a single electron directly?
Thompson's cathode ray tube experiment was an experiment conducted by physicist J.J. Thompson in the late 19th century to study the properties of cathode rays, which are streams of electrons emitted from the negative electrode (cathode) in a vacuum tube.
Thompson discovered that cathode rays are negatively charged particles, which were later identified as electrons. He also found that the mass-to-charge ratio of these particles was significantly smaller than that of any known atom at the time.
Thompson's cathode ray tube experiment provided evidence for the existence of subatomic particles, which was a major breakthrough in the understanding of atomic structure. It also led to the development of the "plum pudding" model of the atom, in which the atom was thought to be a positively charged sphere with negatively charged electrons scattered throughout.
Thompson's cathode ray tube experiment was a significant contribution to the field of physics as it provided evidence for the existence of subatomic particles and challenged the traditional understanding of atomic structure. It also paved the way for further research and discoveries in the field of particle physics.
Although the study of cathode rays has been largely replaced by more advanced techniques, it still holds historic significance in the development of modern physics. Cathode ray tubes are also still used in certain technologies, such as old television sets and computer monitors.