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The experiment you're asking about was performed by Ernest Rutherford, and it's one of the most important experiments in our quest to understand the nature of atoms. We call this experiment the gold foil experiment. What Rutherford did was shoot alpha particles, which are just charged helium atoms, at thin gold foil. Most of the alpha particles passed right through the gold foil. Some of the particles would deflect by a small angle. Occasionally, though, some of the particles would shoot back at the alpha emitter or off at a sharp angle. Before this experiment one of the more popular atomic models was the "plum pudding" model. This model said that protons and electrons filled up all the space of the atom equally. We know now, and because of this experiment, that protons are located at the very center of an atom and they take up very little space. If the plum pudding model were correct you would expect the particles to all act the same; either all of them would be reflected in the same direction or all of them would pass through. But, if the protons were all tightly packed in the center you would expect most of the alpha particles to pass straight through the gold foil because they are just passing through empty space. Occasionally one might get close and be deflected a little bit. Even more rarely you would expect to see some of the alpha particles shoot right back at you. These are exactly the results you see from the gold foil experiment and they show us that atoms are mostly empty space.

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Q: Who shot gold with radiation to show atoms are mostly empty space?
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What statement does not describe the current model of the atom?

atoms are mostly empty space


What was Ruthford's hypothisis on his Gold Foil experiment?

Atoms are mostly empty space with a very, positively charged nucleus. Alpha particles are one of the biggest as far as radiation goes. (:


What did Rutherford's gold foil experiment tell about atoms?

that the atom mostly consisted of empty space.


Which can travel through empty space out of insulator convection electomagnetic conduction or radiation?

Radiation can travel through empty space. The radiation in question is electromagnetic waves.


How is it possible for atoms to be composed of mostly empty space?

Think of it as the planets being the electrons: Earth, Venus, Mars etc.... and the Sun being the nucleus. The size of the Sun and planets relative to the empty space in the solar system is small. It's the same kind of idea with atoms.

Related questions

The body is made of?

The body is made of bones,fat,cells,blood,and atoms. Because of atoms your body is mostly empty space The body is made of bones,fat,cells,blood,and atoms. Because of atoms your body is mostly empty space The body is made of bones,fat,cells,blood,and atoms. Because of atoms your body is mostly empty space


What discovery demostrated that atoms are mostly empty space?

bohr


Transfer of thermal energy through atoms contacting other atoms?

Not likely. Atoms are mostly empty space.


Who discovered that atoms were mostly empty space?

Rutherford, with his gold foil experiment.


What statement does not describe the current model of the atom?

atoms are mostly empty space


What was Ruthford's hypothisis on his Gold Foil experiment?

Atoms are mostly empty space with a very, positively charged nucleus. Alpha particles are one of the biggest as far as radiation goes. (:


what did Rutherford conclude about the location of positive charge in atoms?

Ernest Rutherford mostly believed in that it was mostly empty space with positively charged atoms.


What is radiation in heat terms?

Radiation is when no atoms or molecules are involved in the transfer of heat or energy. This is when energy can travel through empty space . Ex:sun heats earth through space;radiation.


The reason a granite block is mostly empty space is that the atoms in the granite are?

Yes, this is essentially true. Well over 99.9% of the mass of any atom is in the nucleus. The electrons in their orbitals around that nucleus actually determine the spacial volume that the atom occupies. And on an atomic scale, the distance from the nucleus to the outer boundaries of the electron cloud is enormous. The atom is mostly empty space, and, therefore, anything made up of atoms is mostly empty space.


Are gold atoms composed of mostly matter or empty space?

All atoms are mostly empty space, as the electromagnetic repulsion between atomic nuclei keep them from reaching each other (except under extreme pressure, as in the center of stars).


What moves around empty space is it radiation or convection or conduction?

Empty space implies radiation.


How did Ernest Rutherford know that atoms was mostly empty space?

> because he is smart lol TROLL