In the absence of fields, the green dot caused by the cathode rays appears in the center of the front face of the tube, as was shown in the figure of Exercise 7. Prior to Thomson, it was discovered that an electrode in the center of the front face collects a current of negative charge. Cathode Collector electrode Anode a. Can you conclude from this observation that cathode rays are negatively charged particles? Or is the evidence insufficient to draw this conclusion? Explain. Why did Thomson carry out the experiment in which he placed the collecting electrode off to the side of the tube? What was the significance of this experiment?