I dont really understand the Rutherford experiment

Rutherford revolutionised the atomic model with this experiment. At that time, the general idea was that of JJ Thompson, the  "plum pudding" atomic model. Rutherford bombarded a sheet of gold with alfa particles (positive charge) and measured the scattering pattern using a fluorescent screen that would be illuminated after being struck by the alpha radiation.He observed that although most alpha particles were not deflected, a very small percentage of them were deflected by nearly 180 degrees. These observations suggested different things: The atom consisted of mostly empty space (since most alphas were undeflected) and in the middle there was a very small positively charged nucleus that had mass, with a cloud of electrons orbiting around it. Does this help?

ES
Answered by Eduardo S. Physics tutor

3528 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Why do skydivers have a terminal velocity?


What is the equivalence principle of General Relativity and what does it mean?


How does having a rotating plate in a microwave help food to be heated eavenly?


If an alpha particle (Z = 2) of kinetic energy 7 MeV is incident on a gold nucleus (Z = 79), what is its closest distance of approach?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning