MEDIUMMCQ SINGLEIChO (Chemistry Olympiad)Physical ChemistryAtomic StructureIntro

In the Rutherford scattering experiment, most α-particles passed straight through the gold foil because

0.Atom is mostly empty space
1.α-particles are very heavy
2.Gold atoms are very small
3.Nucleus repels α-particles weakly
Explanation

Most of the atom is empty space, so most α-particles pass through without deflection. Only those heading close to the tiny dense nucleus are deflected.

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