THE GOLD FOIL

EXPERIMENT
( Rutherfords experiment )
introduction
Before 1910 , the structure of the atom was
thought to correspond with the plum
pudding model . In summary , the Plum
pudding model was hypothesized by J.J
Thomson ( the discovrer of the electron)
who described an atom as being a large
positively charged body that contained
small , free-floating ,negatively charged
particles called electons .
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But In 1910 , Rutherford tested Thomsons
otheory by using Gold Foil experiment .
He suggested that the plum puudding
model was incorrect.
Rutherfords experiment
An extremely thin gold foil is bombarded with the
narrow beam of fast moving Alpha particles (alpha
particles are fast moving packet of hilium).
On bombarding,the alpha particles are scattered in
different directions with different angles and are
detected by a detector which has a screen coated
with Zinc sulphat.
Observation
Almost all the alpha particles pass throw the
foil.
Some alpha particles are deflected at
different angles .
Few of the Alpha particles bounced
backward after hitting the gold foil .
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Conclusion

- If some Alpha particles approach some

positively charged region , they are
deflected by large angle or bounced
backward .
- If there is a lot or space in the atom , the
most Alpha particles pass straight
throught the gold foil without any
deflection .
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So in general , we conclude that the
most of the space within the atoms in
empty and the volume occupied by the
positive charges is very small . In
another way we can say that in the
central region of the atom , the
positively charged particles are present
and the negatively charged particles
electrons revolve around the central
positive portion.
Rutherfords model
Later on the basis of this theory
further imrovements were made
in the structure of the atom by
Neil Bohr who will prove that
electrons are fixed on orbits.

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