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Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules & Ions
Chapter 2, Problem 88f

Label the following statements about J. J. Thomson's cathode-ray tube experiments shown in Figure 2.6 as true or false. (f) By measuring the deflection of the cathode ray beam caused by electric fields of known strength, the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron was calculated.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Cathode Ray Tube

A cathode ray tube (CRT) is a vacuum tube containing one or more electron guns and a phosphorescent screen, used to display images. In Thomson's experiments, the CRT was essential for studying the behavior of cathode rays, which are streams of electrons. The deflection of these rays in electric and magnetic fields provided insights into their properties, leading to the discovery of the electron.
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Charge-to-Mass Ratio

The charge-to-mass ratio (e/m) of a particle is a fundamental property that describes how much electric charge a particle carries relative to its mass. In Thomson's experiments, he measured the deflection of cathode rays in electric fields to calculate this ratio for electrons. This measurement was crucial in establishing the electron as a subatomic particle with specific characteristics.
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Deflection in Electric Fields

Deflection in electric fields occurs when charged particles, such as electrons, experience a force due to an electric field. The direction and magnitude of this deflection depend on the charge of the particle and the strength of the electric field. Thomson utilized this principle to determine the charge-to-mass ratio of electrons by observing how much the cathode rays were deflected when subjected to known electric fields.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
What affects the magnitude of the deflection of the cathode ray in Thomson's experiment?
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Textbook Question

Label the following statements about J. J. Thomson's cathode-ray tube experiments shown in Figure 2.6 as true or false. (b) A cathode ray is a stream of charged particles.

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Textbook Question

Label the following statements about J. J. Thomson's cathode-ray tube experiments shown in Figure 2.6 as true or false. (c) The cathode ray is deflected away from a positively charged plate.

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Textbook Question
Which of the following charges is not possible for the over-all charge on an oil droplet in Millikan's experiment? For this problem, we'll round the currently accepted charge of an electron to 1.602 * 10-19 C. (a) -1.010 * 10-18 C (b) -8.010 * 10-19 C (c) -2.403 * 10-18 C
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Textbook Question
What discovery about atomic structure was made from the results of Rutherford's gold foil experiment?
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Textbook Question
Prior to Rutherford's gold foil experi-ment, the 'plum pudding' model of the atom represented atomic structure. In this model, the atom is composed of elec-trons interspersed within a positive cloud of charge. If this were the correct model of the atom, predict how the results of Rutherford's experiment would have been different. (a) The alpha particles would pass right through the gold foil with little to no deflection. (b) Most of the alpha particles would be deflected back toward the source. (c) Most of the alpha particles would be absorbed by the atom and neither pass through nor be deflected from the gold foil.
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