Table of Contents
What are Subatomic Particles?
Subatomic particles are the fundamental constituents of atoms. There are three types of subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons held together in the nucleus of an atom by the strong force, while electrons orbit the nucleus in shells.
Discovery of the process
The discovery of the process of photosynthesis made by Jan Ingenhousz in 1779. Photosynthesis is the process that plants use to convert sunlight into chemical energy that can used to power their growth. Jan Ingenhousz was a Dutch scientist who was studying the process of plant respiration. He observed that when he placed a plant in a dark room, the plant would still produce oxygen gas. He realized that the plant must be using some other process to produce oxygen and also that process was photosynthesis.
Discovery of Electron
The discovery of the electron credited to J.J. Thomson who in 1897 experimentally determined the mass-to-charge ratio of the electron. Thomson’s experiment consisted of passing a beam of electrons through an electric and a magnetic field. Therefore he observed that the beam deflected and that the amount of deflection was dependent on the electron’s mass-to-charge ratio. This ratio is now known as the electron’s velocity.
Discovery of Proton
In 1897, J.J. Thomson discovered the proton. Thomson found that cathode rays (a stream of electrons) could deflected by a magnetic field. He reasoned that if the cathode rays were negatively charged, then they must made up of smaller particles that were positively charged. He called these particles “protons.”
Discovery of Neutron
The discovery of neutron credited to James Chadwick in 1932. He was working on the theory of the neutron and was trying to find a way to detect them. However he found that by using beryllium and alpha particles, he could create a reaction that would produce neutrons.
