Rutherford Experiment

This model presents the experiment known as Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering experiment. In it, a beam of alpha particles is aimed at a thin foil of gold. In the experiment, about 99% of the alpha particles pass straight through the foil. However, some of the alpha particles are deflected through small angles and a very small number of the alpha particles rebound off the gold foil. This experimental fact leads to the conclusion that a positive charge is focused on a small region inside the atom. On the base of the results of this experiment, Rutherford identified the nucleus of an atom. He also explored the nucleus has a relatively small diameter compared with that of the atom and the mass of the atom is concentrated in the nucleus.