Rutherford's gold foil experiment demonstrated that

1. Dalton was correct in claiming that atoms are hard, structureless spheres.

2. lead could be transformed into gold.

3. electrons must have quantized energy levels.

4. the positive charge in an atom must reside in a dense core much smaller than the atom.

Question

Chemistry

Shaniya Pacheco

1 October, 15:08

Rutherford's gold foil experiment demonstrated that

1. Dalton was correct in claiming that atoms are hard, structureless spheres.

2. lead could be transformed into gold.

3. electrons must have quantized energy levels.

4. the positive charge in an atom must reside in a dense core much smaller than the atom.

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Answers (1)

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Rhianna Reid · Answer 1

4. the positive charge in an atom must reside in a dense core much smaller than the atom.

Explanation:

Rutherford used alpha particles to demonstrate the structure of atoms. Using very thin foils of gold as the target of the alpha particles, he observed that most of them crossed the foil without deviating, or with a slight deviation. However, he also observed that some alpha particles were dispersed (or deviated) from their trajectory at a great angle and, in some cases, they were returned along the same path to their source.

Therefore, he proposed that the positive charges of the atoms were concentrated in a dense central conglomerate within the atom, which he called the nucleus, which was responsible for the particular deviations of the alpha particles.