Which of the following statements is consistent with Rutherford's nuclear theory?

• A. Most of the atom's mass and all of its positive charge are concentrated in a small nucleus.
• B. Electrons are uniformly distributed throughout the atom, like plums in a pudding.
• C. Atoms are solid spheres with no internal structure.
• D. Protons and electrons are both located in the nucleus.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the key points of Rutherford's nuclear theory, which was developed based on the gold foil experiment.
2. Understand that Rutherford proposed that an atom has a small, dense nucleus where most of the mass and all the positive charge are concentrated.
3. Recognize that electrons orbit this nucleus and are not uniformly distributed throughout the atom, which contradicts the plum pudding model.
4. Note that Rutherford's model replaced the idea of atoms as solid spheres with no internal structure, introducing a nuclear structure instead.
5. Identify that protons are located in the nucleus, but electrons are outside the nucleus, so the statement that both protons and electrons are in the nucleus is incorrect.