Final answer:
Rutherford's gold foil experiment showed that alpha particles can be deflected when fired at a thin gold foil, indicating the existence of a small, dense, positively-charged nucleus at the center of an atom. Higher-energy alpha particles have larger deflection angles compared to lower-energy particles. The paths of alpha particles fired at atoms of different elements will differ due to variations in atomic structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rutherford's gold foil experiment helped to develop the current understanding of the structure of an atom. The experiment involved firing alpha particles at a thin gold foil. According to the accepted atomic model at the time, all of the alpha particles were expected to pass through the gold foil with minimal deflection. However, Rutherford observed that a small percentage of the alpha particles were deflected at large angles, and some were even redirected back toward the source. This unexpected result led Rutherford to propose the existence of a small, dense, positively-charged nucleus at the center of an atom.
(b) If higher-energy alpha particles are fired at Rutherford atoms, their paths will be more scattered and have larger deflection angles compared to lower-energy alpha particles. The increased energy allows for greater interaction between the alpha particles and the positively-charged nucleus, resulting in more significant deflection.
(c) If alpha particles are fired at Rutherford atoms of elements other than gold, their paths will differ due to variations in the atomic structure. Different elements have different numbers of protons and electrons, causing variations in the size and charge distribution of the nucleus. These differences in the atomic structure will affect the paths of the alpha particles.