Question

Rutherford's gold foil experiment showed that most of the $\mathrm{\alpha }$-particles passed through the gold foil without any deflection. It indicates that:

• A. The nucleus is concentrated at the centre
• B. The nucleus carries positive charge
• C. There is lot of empty space in atom
• D. The nucleus carries the most of the mass

Answer 1

The correct option is C

There is lot of empty space in atom

Explanation for the correct option:

Option C: There is lot of empty space in atom:

1. Rutherford bombarded a very thin gold foil with alpha particles.
2. Most of the alpha particles passed straight without any deflection.
3. Since, most of the positively charged alpha particles passed through the foil undeflected, it shows that most of the space in an atom is empty.

Explanation for incorrect options:

Option A : The nucleus is concentrated at the center:

1. A few positively charged alpha particles were deflected by small and large angles due to the presence of a heavy positive center.
2. This positive center in the atom repelled the positively charged alpha particles and deflected them from their path.
3. Rutherford named this positive center as nucleus.

Option B: The nucleus carries a positive charge:

1. As the positively charged alpha particles are repelled greatly by the center of gold foil atoms, it suggests that the positive charge is accumulated at the center .

Option D: The nucleus carries the most of the mass:

1. As Rutherford observed a very few alpha particles bounced back on hitting the gold foil because nucleus is very hard and dense and it does not allow the alpha particles to pass through it.
2. This suggested that most of the mass of an atom is located at the center .

Thus, Option (C) is the correct option.