Rutherford wanted to see how the alpha particles were deflected by the gold atoms. If there were other atoms between the alpha particles and the gold atoms, how would he know that the gold atoms were causing the deflection of the alpha particles that he observed?Masafi said:Rutherford investigated the scattering of alpha particles by gold foil in an evacuated container. The evidence from his investigations led to the nuclear model of the atom.
Why was it important for this investigation that the alpha source was inside the container?
Andrew Mason said:Rutherford wanted to see how the alpha particles were deflected by the gold atoms. If there were other atoms between the alpha particles and the gold atoms, how would he know that the gold atoms were causing the deflection of the alpha particles that he observed?
AM
Rutherford's experiment with the alpha source was a landmark experiment in the field of nuclear physics conducted by Ernest Rutherford in 1911. He used a thin sheet of gold foil and directed a beam of alpha particles (positively charged particles) at it to study the structure of atoms.
The purpose of Rutherford's experiment was to understand the structure of atoms and to test the then-existing "plum pudding" model of the atom proposed by J.J. Thomson. Rutherford wanted to see if the alpha particles would pass through the gold foil as predicted by the model or if they would be deflected by the atoms' positive charge.
Rutherford's experiment disproved the "plum pudding" model by showing that most of the alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil, but a small fraction of them were deflected at large angles. This indicated that the positive charge of the atom was concentrated in a small, dense nucleus, rather than being spread out evenly throughout the atom as predicted by the "plum pudding" model.
Rutherford's experiment was significant because it provided evidence for the existence of the atomic nucleus and helped to establish the nuclear model of the atom. It also paved the way for further research into the structure of the atom and the discovery of subatomic particles.
Rutherford's experiment contributed to our understanding of radioactivity by showing that alpha particles, which are a type of radiation, could be deflected by the positively charged nucleus of an atom. This helped to further our understanding of the structure of atoms and the behavior of radioactive particles.