Questions: What important discovery did Ernest Rutherford find about the atom in his gold foil experiment? Rutherford discovered protons and neutrons during the gold foil experiment Rutherford discovered the nucleus during the gold foil experiment Rutherford discovered electrons during the gold foil experiment Rutherford discovered neutrons during the gold foil experiment

What important discovery did Ernest Rutherford find about the atom in his gold foil experiment?
Rutherford discovered protons and neutrons during the gold foil experiment
Rutherford discovered the nucleus during the gold foil experiment
Rutherford discovered electrons during the gold foil experiment
Rutherford discovered neutrons during the gold foil experiment
Transcript text: What important discovery did Ernest Rutherford find about the atom in his gold foil experiment? Rutherford discovered protons and neutrons during the gold foil experiment Rutherford discovered the nucleus during the gold foil experiment Rutherford discovered electrons during the gold foil experiment Rutherford discovered neutrons during the gold foil experiment
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Solution

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Solution Steps

Step 1: Understanding the Gold Foil Experiment

Ernest Rutherford's gold foil experiment was a pivotal moment in the understanding of atomic structure. In this experiment, Rutherford and his team directed a beam of alpha particles at a thin sheet of gold foil. They observed the scattering pattern of these particles.

Step 2: Analyzing the Observations

Most of the alpha particles passed through the foil with little to no deflection, but a small fraction were deflected at large angles. This was unexpected based on the then-accepted plum pudding model of the atom, which suggested that positive charge was spread out evenly throughout the atom.

Step 3: Conclusion from the Experiment

Rutherford concluded that the atom must have a small, dense, positively charged center that caused the deflection of the alpha particles. This center was later termed the nucleus. This discovery led to the nuclear model of the atom, where electrons orbit a central nucleus.

Final Answer

Rutherford discovered the nucleus during the gold foil experiment.

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