Which conclusion could be made from Ernest Rutherford's gold foil experiment?

• A. Atoms have a small, dense, positively charged nucleus.
• B. Protons and neutrons are arranged in fixed orbits around the nucleus.
• C. Atoms are indivisible and solid spheres.
• D. Electrons are evenly distributed throughout the atom.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the setup of Rutherford's gold foil experiment: alpha particles were directed at a thin sheet of gold foil to observe their scattering patterns.
2. Understand the key observations: most alpha particles passed straight through the foil, but some were deflected at large angles, and a few even bounced back.
3. Analyze what these observations imply about atomic structure: the fact that most particles passed through suggests atoms are mostly empty space.
4. The large deflections indicate the presence of a small, dense, positively charged center within the atom that repels the positively charged alpha particles.
5. Conclude that Rutherford's experiment led to the model where atoms have a small, dense, positively charged nucleus, disproving the idea of atoms as indivisible solid spheres or electrons evenly distributed.