Ernest rutherford was an important early researcher in nuclear physics. In one experiment, he observed that particles with a positive charge deflected when passing through a thin sheet of gold foil. What conclusion did rutherford make in this observation?.

Ernst Rutherford conducted the Gold Foil Experiment in which α particles (doubly charged Helium Atoms) were bombarded on a thin gold foil. This experiment led to the discovery of the nucleus.

1) Most of the particles passed through undeflected

⇒ this meant that most of an atom is empty space

2) Some Alpha particles were deflected by some small angles

⇒ Since alpha particles are positively charged species , they can only be deflected if there are some positively charged atoms present that would repulse these particles.

3) A few ( about 1/20000 particles) bounced back

⇒There is a heavy mass of positively charged species in the atom , and since the alpha particles bounced back , this mass of positively charged species must have been highly dense.

Therefore, from these observations and inferences Rutherford concluded that most of an atom is empty space and there is a mass of positively charged particles in the center of the atom called the nucleus which contains protons. The electrons revolve around this nucleus at high speeds.

The mass of the atom is concentrated in the nucleus and is very small in size , making it highly dense.