Question

In Rutherford's Gold foil experiment, were the alpha particles directed to different areas of the gold foil or only the same spot? If the same spot, how did the particles get deflected in different directions sometimes and go through most of the time

Answer 1

See explanation

Step-by-step explanation:

In the Rutherford experiment, alpha particles were directed at the same spot on a thin gold foil.

As the alpha particles hit the foil, most of the alpha particles went through the foil. In Rutherford's interpretation, most of the particles went through because the atom consisted largely of empty space.

However, some of the alpha particles were deflected through large angles, in Rutherford's interpretation, the deflected alpha particles had hit the dense positive core of the atom which he called the nucleus.

This accounted for their scattering through large angles throughout the foil in all directions.