Rutherford's experiments, in which he bombarded a very thin gold foil with alpha particles, showed that
A) all of the α particles passed through the foil without significant deflection.
B) none of the α particles were able to penetrate the foil.
C) all of the α particles passed through the foil and were deflected through large angles.
D) most of the α particles passed through the foil with negligible deflection but some were deflected through large angles.
E) the α particles were linearly polarized after passing through the foil.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rutherford's experiments showed that most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil with negligible deflection, indicating that the majority of the atom is empty space. However, some alpha particles were deflected through large angles, revealing the presence of a small, positively charged nucleus at the center of the atom.

Rutherford's Experiments, in Which He Bombarded a Very Thin Gold