Which conclusion was drawn from the results of the Rutherford gold foil experiment?

• A. Atoms are indivisible and cannot be broken down into smaller particles.
• B. Protons and neutrons are arranged in fixed orbits around the nucleus.
• C. Most of the atom's mass and positive charge are concentrated in a small nucleus.
• D. Electrons are evenly distributed throughout the atom like plums in a pudding.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the setup of the Rutherford gold foil experiment: alpha particles were directed at a thin sheet of gold foil to observe their scattering patterns.
2. Understand the key observation: most alpha particles passed straight through the foil, but a small fraction were deflected at large angles.
3. Interpret the results: the fact that most particles passed through suggested that atoms are mostly empty space.
4. The large deflections indicated the presence of a small, dense, positively charged center within the atom, which repelled the positively charged alpha particles.
5. Conclude that this center is the nucleus, where most of the atom's mass and positive charge are concentrated, disproving earlier models like the plum pudding model.