Deflection of alpha particles
Ernest Rutherford explained the behavior of positively charged particles being deflected from metal foils as they interacted with the nucleus of the atom in his famous gold foil experiment. This experiment led to the discovery of the atomic nucleus as a small, dense, positively charged center within the atom.
He discovered that an atom has a very dense and very tiny positively charged nucleus. He named the positively charged particles protons.
1) Atoms were mostly empty space (because most alpha particles went straight through the gold foil) 2) Atoms had a dense nucleus (because few alpha particles bounced straight back from the atoms) 3) The nucleus of atoms were positively charged (some alpha particles were deflected at large angles)
Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus and the proton. A short answer for the Rutherford atomic model: the atom is composed from a central part - a nucleus, positively charged, surrounded by electrons - very small negative charged particles.
Ernest Rutherford, based on his metal foil experiments.
In 1920, Rutherford gave the name proton to the positively charged particles in the nucleus of an atom.
The gold foil experiment convinced Ernest Rutherford that the atom has a small positively charged nucleus. In this experiment, alpha particles were shot at a thin gold foil. The fact that some of the alpha particles were deflected and even bounced back led Rutherford to conclude that atoms have a small, dense, positively charged nucleus.
protons
Ernest Rutherford in 1919.
Proton
Proton
Rutherford fired alpha particles at a sheet of atoms in order to determine the atomic structure. The alpha particle is positively charged. Those particles that bounce straight back are the ones that hit the nucleus of the atom and were repelled by the nucleus's positive charge.
Ernest Rutherford explained the behavior of positively charged particles being deflected from metal foils as they interacted with the nucleus of the atom in his famous gold foil experiment. This experiment led to the discovery of the atomic nucleus as a small, dense, positively charged center within the atom.
He discovered that an atom has a very dense and very tiny positively charged nucleus. He named the positively charged particles protons.
basically, Rutherford shot postively charged particles at a thin sheet of gold foil. most of the particles passed straight through, but some bounced off at sharp angles. This implies that most of the atom is empy space (which is why most of the particles go straight throught) , but there is a positively charged nucleus at the center (which repels the postively charged particles, so if a particle hits the nucleus, it bounces off )
Rutherford's Theory was that atom is mostly empty space, thus explaining the lack of deflection of most of the alpha particles, when he tested out the Gold-Foil Experiment. Rutherford predicted that all the alpha particles would go through the gold foil, however, when tested, some of the alpha particles reflected back, bounced off the gold foil at very large angles.A short answer for the Rutherford atomic model: the atom is composed from a central part - a nucleus, positively charged, surrounded by electrons - very small negative charged particles.A short answer for the Rutherford atomic model: the atom is composed from a central part - a nucleus, positively charged, surrounded by electrons - very small negative charged particles.
Rutherford shot high-energy alpha particles (two protons and two neutrons, or a helium nucleus) at the gold foil. A small fraction of these alpha particles bounced back, and that is how Rutherford discovered the nucleus.