How does Rutherford's model of the atom account for the back-scattering of alpha particles directed at the gold foil?
There is space between the electron and protons/neutrons in the nucleolus of the atom. when a particle scatters that means that it hit a solid mass... the nucleolus of the cell.
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Rutherford's model of the atom, also known as the planetary model, played a significant role in understanding the structure of the atom. According to this model, the atom consists of a positively charged nucleus at its center, around which negatively charged electrons orbit like planets around the sun.
To understand how Rutherford's model explains the back-scattering of alpha particles directed at the gold foil, we need to consider the experiment conducted by Rutherford known as the gold foil experiment.
During the gold foil experiment, Rutherford directed a beam of alpha particles (which are positively charged) at a thin gold foil. According to the prevailing theory at the time, the "plum pudding model," it was expected that the alpha particles would pass through the foil with minimal deflection, as it was believed that the positive charge was evenly distributed throughout the atom.
However, the observation contradicted this expectation. Rutherford observed that while most of the alpha particles passed straight through the foil, a small fraction of them were highly deflected, and some even bounced back in the direction from which they came. This phenomenon is known as back-scattering.
Rutherford's explanation for this unexpected result came from his atomic model. He proposed that since the majority of the alpha particles passed through the foil with minimal deflection, most of the atom's volume must be empty space. This conclusion was based on the fact that if the positive charge were evenly distributed throughout the atom, as assumed in the plum pudding model, the alpha particles would not be significantly deflected.
However, the few alpha particles that were deflected or bounced back experienced a high degree of repulsion, which could only be explained by a concentrated positive charge at the center of the atom. Rutherford called this densely packed, positively charged center the nucleus.
In summary, Rutherford's model of the atom explains the back-scattering of alpha particles by proposing that the majority of an atom is empty space, but it contains a small, dense, and positively charged nucleus. The back-scattering occurred when the alpha particles came close to the positive nucleus and experienced significant repulsive forces, causing them to change direction or bounce back.