Rutherford performed the gold foil experiment to
a) support the law of conservation of mass
b) confirm that atoms have a nucleus
c) confirm the plum pudding model
d) support the law of conservation of energy

Rutherford atomic experiment confirms that atoms have a nucleus (answer B)

Rutherford experimented with scattering alpha light on a thin plate of gold. This experiment is based on the discovery of alpha particles that can penetrate the sheet of paper because it has a large penetrating power.

If these alpha particles are fired on a very thin gold plate, most of the particles are continued and some are deflected

From this experiment, it can be concluded that

1. The atom is not a solid ball that is positively charged as stated by the Thompson but consists of a vacuum

2. Inside the gold, there are very small positively charged particles that make up the atomic nucleus

So because only very few alpha particles are deflected, the core size is smaller than the size of the atom as a whole

So that came the Rutherford atomic model which states that atoms consist of nuclei that are small and positively charged and surrounded by negatively charged electrons

So this Rutherford atomic experiment confirms that atoms have a nucleus (answer B)

Rutherford's model of the atom

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statements describe Rutherford's model of the atom

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Rutherford's model

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Keywords of Rutherford's model, nucleus, alpha lighT