in the rutherford scattering experiment, how did some of the atoms’ paths being deflected and bounced back mean that there was an area of dense positive charge
1 answer
In the Rutherford scattering experiment, alpha particles were fired at a thin gold foil. According to the prevailing theory at the time, the positively charged alpha particles should have passed right through the gold atoms without being deflected. However, some of the alpha particles were deflected at large angles and some even bounced straight back. This observation could only be explained if there was an area of dense positive charge in the atom that caused the deflection of the alpha particles. This led Rutherford to propose the existence of a small, positively charged nucleus at the center of the atom, surrounded by negatively charged electrons. Hence, it was the scattering of alpha particles that provided the evidence of the atomic structure and its composition.