How did Thomson help our understanding of the atom (apex)?

J.J. Thomson contributed significantly to our understanding of the atom through his discovery of the electron in 1897. By conducting experiments with cathode rays, he demonstrated that these rays were composed of negatively charged particles, which he termed "corpuscles," later known as electrons. This finding led to the realization that atoms are not indivisible but consist of smaller subatomic particles. Thomson's work paved the way for the development of the "plum pudding" model of the atom, which described a positively charged sphere with embedded electrons.