But it is not our task to show how one discovery after another was made. We are merely interested in knowing that, because of these discoveries, we find today in the atom—not in the radium atom alone, but in every atom as such—only a union of particles identical with one another, the so-called electrons, being but special forms of electro-magnetic forces.
Professor Gruner writes as follows: "The atom is no longer the accepted, final unit of matter, but has given place to the electron.
The atom is no longer an individual compact particle of matter, but an aggregate of thousands of tiny bodies.
Furthermore, the atom is not indestructible; it can throw off successive electrons or groups of electrons from its numerous contents and so keep up a gradual, but veritable destruction."
Professor Thomson, who won the "Nobel" prize for his work on natural science, makes these distinct assertions:
"(1) The electron is nothing more than a form of electricity.
(2) Each electron weighs 1/770th of a fluid atom. Of an atom, that is, which, hitherto had been regarded as the smallest individual particle.
(3) A fluid atom consists of 770 electrons and is formed of electricity without any other material.
(4) The atoms of other elements, besides radium, are also composed of electrons and of nothing else.
The number of electrons varies in different elements; for instance, an atom of quicksilver is composed of 150,000 electrons.