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Plum pudding model

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File:Plum pudding atom.png
A schematic representation of the plum pudding model of the atom.

In physics, the Plum pudding model of the atom was made after the discovery of the electron, and was proposed by the discoverer of the electron, J. J. Thomson. The model, however, preceeded the discovery of the proton or neutron. In it, the atom is envisioned as electrons surrounded by a soup of positive charge, like plums surrounded by pudding. The electrons were positioned uniformly throughout the atom. Instead of a soup the model is also said to have had a cloud of positive charge. This model was disproved by an experiment by Ernest Rutherford, the gold foil experiment, when he discovered the nucleus of the atom.

This model can be compared to a British treat called plum pudding, hence the name. It is also known as the chocolate chip cookie model.