Cathode rays played a critical role in unlocking this mystery. Yet until Thomson, no one had determined what these might be. Prior to the discovery of the electron, several scientists had posited that atoms might be made up of smaller pieces. What is a cathode ray tube and why was it important? For instance, the discovery of the electron was vital to the development of chemistry today, and it was the first subatomic particle to be discovered. Although he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics and not chemistry, Thomson’s contributions to the field of chemistry are numerous. Thomson did most of this work while leading the famed Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. In addition to this work, Thomson also performed the first-ever mass spectrometry experiments, discovered the first isotope and made important contributions both to the understanding of positively charged particles and electrical conductivity in gases. Thompson made the switch to physics a few years later and began studying the properties of cathode rays. Thompson was born in December 1856 in Manchester, England and was educated at the University of Manchester and then the University of Cambridge, graduating with a degree in mathematics.

JJ Thomson was an English physicist who discovered the electron in 1897.

J.j.thomson cathode ray