Table of Contents
Why was Rutherford interested in radioactivity?
Rutherford became interested in radioactivity after radioactive atoms were discovered in 1896. He discovered that radioactive atoms gave off two different types of rays, which he named alpha and beta rays. It was Rutherford’s work on the rate of decay of uranium atoms that led to the development of radioactive dating.
What was Ernest Rutherford trying to prove with his experiment?
Rutherford overturned Thomson’s model in 1911 with his well-known gold foil experiment in which he demonstrated that the atom has a tiny and heavy nucleus. Rutherford designed an experiment to use the alpha particles emitted by a radioactive element as probes to the unseen world of atomic structure.
What did Ernest Rutherford contribute to the atomic theory?
Ernest Rutherford postulated the nuclear structure of the atom, discovered alpha and beta rays, and proposed the laws of radioactive decay. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908.
What were the two conclusions that Rutherford made from his experiment?
Rutherford and the nucleus
| What happened | Rutherford’s conclusions |
|---|---|
| A small number of alpha particles were deflected by large angles (> 4°) as they passed through the foil. | There is a concentration of positive charge in the atom. Like charges repel, so the positive alpha particles were being repelled by positive charges. |
How did Ernest Rutherford discover the nucleus of the atom?
In 1911, Rutherford, Marsden and Geiger discovered the dense atomic nucleus by bombarding a thin gold sheet with the alpha particles emitted by radium. From this observation, they concluded that almost all the atomic matter was concentrated in a tiny volume situated at the atome center, the atomic nucleus.
How did Ernest Rutherford change the atomic model?
Rutherford’s experiment prompted a change in the atomic model. If the positive alpha particles mostly passed through the foil, but some bounced back. AND if they already knew that the electron was small and negative, then the atom must have a small positive nucleus with the electrons around them.