Question

Whenever a gas is subjected to electric discharge at low pressure, cathode rays and positive rays are formed. What does the formation of these rays tell us about the nature of atoms in the gas ?

Answer 1

• Whenever gas is subjected to high electric discharge (approximately 10,000 volt) and at low pressure (approximately 0.1 mm of Hg), then cathode rays from cathode and anode rays from the anode emit and travel in the opposite direction to each other.
• Cathode rays are negatively charged, which means that they are made up of negatively charged particles called electrons. Formation of these rays shows the presence of electrons in an atom.
• Anode rays are positively charged, which means that they are made up of positively charged particles called protons. Formation of these rays shows the presence of protons in an atom.