How did Rutherford's model of the atom differ from Thomson's model?

• A. Rutherford's model included neutrons in the nucleus, while Thomson's model did not.
• B. Rutherford's model suggested that electrons are embedded within a positively charged sphere, whereas Thomson's model placed electrons orbiting a central nucleus.
• C. Rutherford's model stated that atoms are indivisible, while Thomson's model allowed for atomic division.
• D. Rutherford proposed that atoms have a small, dense, positively charged nucleus, while Thomson's model described atoms as a uniform 'plum pudding' of positive charge with embedded electrons.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand Thomson's model of the atom, often called the 'plum pudding' model, which describes the atom as a uniform sphere of positive charge with negatively charged electrons embedded throughout, like plums in a pudding.
2. Step 2: Recognize that Thomson's model did not include a nucleus; instead, it assumed the positive charge was spread out evenly across the atom.
3. Step 3: Learn about Rutherford's model, which was based on his gold foil experiment, showing that atoms have a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center.
4. Step 4: Note that in Rutherford's model, electrons orbit this central nucleus, rather than being embedded within a positive sphere as in Thomson's model.
5. Step 5: Summarize the key difference: Rutherford introduced the concept of a nucleus containing most of the atom's mass and positive charge, fundamentally changing the atomic structure from Thomson's uniform positive sphere.