15 Questions
What was the purpose of the Gold Foil Experiment conducted by Ernest Rutherford?
To test the J.J. Thomson or plum pudding model of the atom
In the Gold Foil Experiment, what were the positively charged particles fired through the gold foil?
Alpha particles
According to Democritus, how did he theorize that matter must be composed?
As a fundamental particle that cannot be further divided
What was the prevailing atomic model at the time of the Gold Foil Experiment?
J.J. Thomson or plum pudding model
How did Democritus arrive at his theory about the fundamental nature of matter?
By performing a thought experiment involving repeated division of matter
What was the fundamental idea of Dalton's atomic theory?
Atoms are indivisible and cannot be subdivided into smaller units.
What did J.J. Thomson's cathode ray experiment reveal about atoms?
Atoms contain small negatively charged electrons.
How did Thomson determine the charge of cathode rays in his experiment?
By influencing the rays with an electromagnet and observing their deflection.
What was the main difference between Thomson's model of the atom and Rutherford's model?
Thomson's model proposed atoms are mostly empty space, while Rutherford's model emphasized the existence of a central nucleus.
Why did Rutherford choose to conduct his gold foil experiment using gold as the foil material?
Gold is a heavy element with malleable properties for creating thin foils.
What did Rutherford's gold foil experiment reveal about the atom?
The atom was mostly empty space with a large positively charged nucleus.
Why was the outcome of Rutherford's gold foil experiment different from J.J. Thomson's plum pudding model?
The alpha particles bounced back towards their source.
What would happen to alpha particles passing through a solid, non-empty object according to Thomson's model?
They would continue straight through the object.
How did Rutherford detect the impact of alpha particles in his gold foil experiment?
By observing scintillations on a phosphorescent screen.
What can be inferred about the positive charge distribution in an atom based on Rutherford's findings?
It is concentrated in a small, dense nucleus.
Learn about the famous Geiger-Marsden experiment conducted by Ernest Rutherford along with physicists Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden in the years 1908-1913. The experiment aimed to explore the structure of atoms and challenge the existing J.J. Thomson model.
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