Which statement best describes what Rutherford concluded from the motion of the particles in his gold foil experiment?

• A. Protons and neutrons are located in fixed orbits around the nucleus.
• B. Most of the atom is empty space, with a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center.
• C. Electrons are evenly distributed throughout the atom, embedded in a positively charged 'pudding'.
• D. Atoms are indivisible and solid spheres.

Answer: (B)

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, and their scattering patterns were observed.
2. Understand that most alpha particles passed straight through the foil, but a small fraction were deflected at large angles, and some even bounced back.
3. Analyze what these observations imply about atomic structure: if atoms were solid or had evenly distributed positive charge, alpha particles would not pass through easily or be deflected so sharply.
4. Conclude that the atom must be mostly empty space, allowing most particles to pass through, with a small, dense, positively charged center (nucleus) causing the deflections.
5. Recognize that this conclusion disproved earlier models like the 'plum pudding' model and led to the nuclear model of the atom.