The gold foil experiment performed in Rutherford's lab .

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gold foil experiment involved shooting alpha particles (not beta particles) at a thin sheet of gold foil. Rutherford and his team were surprised to discover that some of the alpha particles were deflected back toward the source, indicating that the mass of the gold atom was concentrated in a small, dense nucleus at its center. This discovery led to the development of the nuclear model of the atom, where the nucleus contains protons and neutrons, while the electrons orbit around it. Therefore, option B is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect as the experiment involved alpha particles, not beta particles. Option C is incorrect as the law of multiple proportions has to do with the ratios of elements in a compound. Option D is incorrect as the plum-pudding model was disproven by the gold foil experiment, and option E is incorrect as Thompson's model was the plum-pudding model, which was disproven by the gold foil experiment.

The Gold Foil Experiment Performed in Rutherford's Lab