Multiple Choice
Which hypothesis was supported by the results of the Rutherford gold foil experiment and led to the discovery of the proton?
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2. Atoms & Elements
Rutherford Gold Foil Experiment
Multiple Choice
Rutherford's experiment with alpha particle scattering by gold foil established that:
A
electrons are uniformly distributed throughout the atom
B
the atom has a small, dense, positively charged nucleus
C
atoms are mostly solid with little empty space
D
protons and neutrons are located in the electron cloud
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 that the key observation was that most alpha particles passed through the foil with little deflection, but a small fraction were deflected at large angles, indicating a concentrated positive charge.
From this observation, conclude that the atom cannot be a uniform distribution of charge or solid throughout, but must have a small, dense, positively charged center, which we call the nucleus.
Recognize that this nucleus contains most of the atom's mass and positive charge, while electrons occupy the surrounding space, which is mostly empty.
Therefore, the correct interpretation of Rutherford's experiment is that the atom has a small, dense, positively charged nucleus.
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