Question

The significant result deduced from the Rutherford’s scattering experiment is that

• A. whole of the positive charge is concentrated at the centre of atom
• B. there are neutrons inside the nucleus
• C. \(\alpha\)-particles are helium nuclei
• D. electrons are embedded in the atom
• E. electrons are revolving around the nucleus

Hint:

Remember the three main takeaways: 1. Most space is empty. 2. Positive charge is at the center (Nucleus). 3. The nucleus is extremely small compared to the atom's volume.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering experiment was a landmark in atomic physics that challenged the prevailing "Plum Pudding" model.
• Observations: Most \(\alpha\)-particles passed straight through the gold foil, but a very small fraction (1 in 8000) were deflected by large angles, some even bouncing back.
• Deduction: These rare large-angle deflections could only occur if the positive charge and nearly all the mass of the atom were concentrated in an extremely small, dense region.

Step 1: Analyze the implications of the observations.
The fact that most particles pass through means the atom is mostly empty space. However, for a positively charged \(\alpha\)-particle to be deflected backward, it must encounter a very strong repulsive electrostatic force. This requires all the positive charge to be located in a single, central point rather than being spread out.

Step 2: Evaluate the specific result.
While Rutherford later proposed planetary electrons (Option E), the most "significant" and immediate result deduced directly from the scattering data was the discovery of the atomic nucleus—the concentrated central positive charge. Neutrons (Option B) were not discovered until 1932 by Chadwick.