Question

Name the scientists who discovered:

(a) Nucleus of atom.

Answer 1

Discovery of nucleus:

1. The nucleus consists of protons and neutrons while the electrons revolve around it.
2. Ernest Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus in the year 1911.
3. He bombarded a beam of positively charged alpha particles on the gold foil.
4. He observed that:
   1. Most of the alpha particles passed through the foil undeflected. This shows that most space inside the atom is empty.
   2. Some alpha particles got deflected at different angles. This is because the positively charged nucleus repelled positively charged alpha particles.
   3. Very few alpha particles bounced back after hitting the gold foil. This shows that the nucleus is very tiny and dense.

Thus, Rutherford concluded that there is a positively charged tiny, dense sphere at the center of the atom which he called as nucleus.

Thus, the scientist Ernest Rutherford discovered the nucleus of an atom.