Rutherford tracked the motion of tiny positively charged particles

Subject : Biology

Question: Rutherford tracked the motion of tiny, positively charged particles shot through a thin sheet of gold foil. Some particles traveled in a straight line and some were deflected at different angles.

Which statement best describes what Rutherford concluded from the motion of the particles?

A) Some particles traveled through empty spaces between atoms and some particles were deflected by electrons.

B) Some particles traveled through empty parts of the atom and some particles were deflected by electrons.

C) Some particles traveled through empty spaces between atoms and some particles were deflected by small areas of high-density positive charge in atoms.

D) Some particles traveled through empty parts of the atom and some particles were deflected by small areas of high-density positive charge in atoms.

Expert Verified Solution:

The statement that best describes what Rutherford concluded from the motion of the particles is:

D) Some particles traveled through empty parts of the atom and some particles were deflected by small areas of high-density positive charge in atoms.

Explanation:

Rutherford’s gold foil experiment led to the discovery of the atomic nucleus. He observed that most of the positively charged particles passed through the gold foil without deflection, indicating that atoms are mostly space. However, a few particles were deflected at large angles or even bounced back, suggesting that there is a small, dense, positively charged center within the atom, which he called the nucleus. The electrons, being much lighter and negatively charged, did not cause such deflections; it was the small, concentrated positive charge (nucleus) that caused the deflection of the particles. This observation contradicted the earlier plum pudding model and led to the development of the nuclear model of the atom.