Some alpha particles pass through gold foil with very little deflection mainly because the
A)electric field is zero inside the foil.
B)atoms of gold are mostly empty space.
C)net charge of the gold atoms is zero.
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Most of the alpha particles pass through the gold foil with little deflection because the atoms of gold are mostly empty space. This allows the alpha particles to travel through the space between the atoms without any significant interaction, resulting in little deflection. The electric field inside the foil and the net charge of the gold atoms are not significant factors in this phenomenon.

Some Alpha Particles Pass Through Gold Foil with Very Little