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

Observation 1: Formation of cathode rays
Conclusion:

• The rays emitted from the cathode in the discharge tube experiment are known as cathode rays.
• Since these rays were attracted towards the positive terminal of the electric field, it showed that the rays carried a negative charge.
• It shows that an atom is divisible and consists of negatively charged particles called electrons.

Observation 2: Formation of positive rays
Conclusion:

• The rays emitted from the anode in the discharge tube experiment are known as anode or positive rays.
• Since these rays were attracted towards the negative terminal of the electric field, it showed that the rays carried a positive charge.
• It shows that an atom is divisible and consists of positively charged particles called protons.