Multiple Choice
In Francesco Redi's experiment, what did he discover about the origin of maggots on decaying meat?
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2. Atoms & Elements
Rutherford Gold Foil Experiment
Multiple Choice
What did Ernest Rutherford’s gold foil experiment demonstrate about the structure of an atom?
A
Protons and neutrons are arranged in fixed orbits around the nucleus.
B
Electrons are evenly distributed throughout a positively charged sphere.
C
Most of the atom's mass and all of its positive charge are concentrated in a small nucleus.
D
Atoms are indivisible and cannot be broken down into smaller particles.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the context of Rutherford's gold foil experiment, which involved firing alpha particles at a thin sheet of gold foil to observe their scattering patterns.
Recall the expectations before the experiment: according to the plum pudding model, alpha particles were expected to pass through with minimal deflection because positive charge was thought to be spread out evenly.
Analyze the key observation: while most alpha particles passed straight through, some were deflected at large angles, and a few even bounced back, indicating a concentrated positive charge.
Interpret the results: the large deflections suggested that the positive charge and most of the atom's mass are concentrated in a very small, dense region called the nucleus.
Conclude that Rutherford's experiment disproved the plum pudding model and demonstrated that atoms have a small, dense nucleus containing protons (and later discovered neutrons), with electrons orbiting around it.
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