During Rutherford's ∝-particle scattering experiment, most alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil give reason?
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Solution
Earnest Rutherford, Conducted alpha ( ∝) particle scattering experiment which discussed here :
He fired fast moving ∝ particles at a very thin sheet of gold foil.
Most of the alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil undeflected.
a small number of alpha particle were deflected at small angles while some were deflected at large angles.
A very few alpha particles bounced back just like a ball hitting a wall.
Rutherford came to the following conclusions:
As the atoms of gold foil allowed most alpha particles to pass straight through them, he concluded that an atom has a lot of empty space in it.
As a small number of alpha a particles having a positive charge deflected, he concluded that there is a center of positive charge inside an atom.
As like charges repel each other the positively charged alpha particle are repelled by the positive charged center inside the atom.
As very few alpha particle bounced back, he concluded that the central core is hard and dense and is very small as compared to the size of an atom. He named the small, dense and positively charged central core of an atom as the nucleus.
As the atoms of gold foil allowed most alpha particles to pass straight through them, because of that an atom has a lot of empty space in it.
