Question

Discuss the observations that helped E. Rutherford conclude the concept of a concentrated nucleus.

Answer 1

E. Rutherford performed a gold foil experiment in which he bombarded positively charged alpha particles on a thin gold foil. He made the following observations:

(i) Most of the space inside the atom is empty since most of the alpha rays passed through the foil without any deflection.
(ii) Very few alpha rays got deflected, indicating that the positive charge in the atom occupies a very small space.
(iii) A minute fraction of the alpha rays were deflected by 180 degrees. This meant that all the positive charge and mass of the atom is concentrated in a very small volume within the atom.