Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment

Background

• Conducted by Rutherford and his team in 1910.
• Studied how alpha particles are scattered when passing through a thin gold foil.

Observations

• Most alpha particles: Passed through the gold foil undeflected.
• A few alpha particles: Scattered at large angles, some even reversed direction.

Implications of Observations

• Collision Interpretation:
  • Large-angle scattering indicated collision with something more massive than the alpha particles.
  • The object causing deflection was very small, as only a few alpha particles were affected.

Atomic Structure Insights

• Most of the atom's volume is occupied by low mass electrons.
• The nucleus:
  • Small and dense.
  • Responsible for the scattering at large angles when encountered by alpha particles.

Conclusion

• The experiment demonstrated that atoms have a small, dense nucleus, challenging the previously accepted models of atomic structure.