What did Rutherford's gold foil experiment give proof of?
Since this is not my area of expertise, I searched Google under the key words "Rutherford's gold foil experiment" to get these possible sources:
http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/chemistry/essentialchemistry/flash/ruther14.swf
http://www.rsc.org/chemsoc/timeline//pages/1911.html
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/R/Rutherfords_experiment_and_atomic_model.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger-Marsden_experiment
(Broken Link Removed)
In terms of "proof," you might want to read this article:
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/Prove.Point.htm
In the future, you can find the information you desire more quickly, if you use appropriate key words to do your own search. Also see http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/.
I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
Rutherford's gold foil experiment provided proof of the existence of the atomic nucleus and the concept of the atom having a small, dense, and positively charged center. Let me explain how the experiment was conducted and what it revealed.
To perform the gold foil experiment, Rutherford directed a narrow beam of alpha particles (positively charged particles) at a thin sheet of gold foil. The alpha particles were generated from a radioactive source. Rutherford and his team observed the pattern of alpha particles scattered by the gold foil.
According to the prevailing model at the time, known as the Thomson model, the atom was thought to be a uniformly distributed positive charge with electrons embedded in it, much like a "plum pudding." Based on this model, it was expected that the alpha particles would simply pass through the thin foil with little or no deflection.
However, what Rutherford observed was quite different. Most of the alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil, as expected, but a small fraction of them were deflected at large angles, and some even bounced straight back. This unexpected result was remarkable and required a new explanation.
Rutherford theorized that the alpha particles experiencing significant deflection must have come very close to a concentrated positive charge within the atom. He proposed that the atom consists of a tiny, dense, and positively charged core, which he called the nucleus. The electrons then orbit the nucleus at a greater distance.
Based on these findings, Rutherford's gold foil experiment provided substantial evidence for two important conclusions:
1. The existence of the atomic nucleus: The significant deflection of alpha particles indicated the presence of a concentrated positive charge at the center of the atom, which is known as the nucleus.
2. The atom is mostly empty space: Since most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil undeflected, it suggested that the atom is mostly vacant space with electrons orbiting the nucleus at a considerable distance.
Rutherford's gold foil experiment played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of atomic structure and led to the development of the modern atomic model.