Abstract
Both Zeeman and Thomson conducted experiments towards the end of the nineteenth century that gave evidence for the existence of the particle now known as the electron. Their experiments were responses to specific problems in nineteenth century physics and were able to take advantage of technological advances of the latter half of that century. A variety of experiments gave similar values for the ratio of charge to mass of the particles detected that were three orders of magnitude greater than estimates of that ratio for the hydrogen molecule. Further experiments soon indicated that this was due to the minute mass of the particle rather than an excessively large value for the charge. The robust character of the arguments drawn from the experiments and the extent to which they reinforced each other made it difficult to deny the existence of the electron as a component of atoms. Whilst this achievement signals the end of the story told in this book, it marked the beginning of atomic physics and chemistry rather than their conclusion.
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Chalmers, A. (2009). Experimental Contact with Electrons. In: The Scientist’s Atom and the Philosopher’s Stone. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 279. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2362-9_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2362-9_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-2361-2
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-2362-9
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