Final answer:
Rutherford's experimental evidence, particularly the gold foil experiment, led to the suggestion of the nuclear model of the atom. This model proposed that the atom is mostly empty space with a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center and electrons orbiting around it. The experiment provided evidence for the existence of the proton as a positively charged particle and led to the proposal of the neutron. However, the model chemists use today, called the quantum mechanical model, describes electrons as existing in discrete energy levels or orbitals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rutherford's experimental evidence led scientists to suggest the nuclear model of the atom. In his gold foil experiment, Rutherford and his colleagues aimed a beam of high-speed, positively charged alpha particles at a thin piece of gold foil. They observed that while most of the particles passed through the foil, some were deflected at large angles and even bounced back. This unexpected result led Rutherford to propose that the atom is mostly empty space with a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center, and the electrons orbiting around it.
This experiment provided evidence for the existence of the proton and the idea that it is positively charged. The fact that some alpha particles were deflected at large angles suggested that they were encountering a concentrated positive charge in the atom's nucleus.
The observation that some alpha particles bounced back led Rutherford to propose the existence of the neutron. He reasoned that these particles must have come close enough to the nucleus to experience a strong repulsive force, which could only be explained if there were neutral particles present in the nucleus.
Rutherford's model of the atom differed from the model that chemists use today. Rutherford's model depicted the electrons as circling the nucleus in a planetary-type motion, similar to the solar system. However, the model chemists use today is the quantum mechanical model, which describes electrons as existing in discrete energy levels or orbitals, rather than following specific paths around the nucleus.