Describe Thomson's model of atom and …

Thomson’s Atomic Model- Postulates

• According to the postulates of Thomson’s atomic model, an atom resembles a sphere of positive charge with electrons (negatively charged particles) present inside the sphere.
• The positive and negative charge is equal in magnitude and therefore an atom has no charge as a whole and is electrically neutral.
• Thomson’s atomic model resembles a spherical plum pudding as well as a watermelon. It resembles a plum pudding because the electrons in the model look like the dry fruits embedded in a sphere of positive charge just like a spherical plum pudding. The model has also been compared to a watermelon because the red edible part of a watermelon was compared to the sphere having a positive charge and the black seeds filling the watermelon looked similar to the electrons inside the sphere.

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.

JJ Thomson described to structure of an atom similar to that of a Christmas Puddin in which the dry fruits were the negatively charged particles and the rest of the part was positively charged. this was also similiar to an atom in which the seeds were negatively charged particles whereas the the red edible part was positively charged. this model was proved wrong when Ernest Rutherford put forward his postulates stating that therre was space between the particles