Atoms have void spaces. It was first suggested by — Atomic Structure Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

### Step 1 - Early Atomic Models: No Void Spaces * **Dalton (1808):** Atoms are hard, solid, indivisible spheres — no empty space. * **Thomson (1898):** Plum pudding model — solid sphere of positive charge with electrons embedded throughout — no void. ### Step 2 - Lenard's Cathode Ray Experiments (1903) Philipp Lenard bombarded thin metal foils with fast cathode rays (electrons) and observed that they passed through easily with minimal deflection. He concluded atoms consist mostly of **empty space (voids)** and proposed tiny force centers ("dynamides") surrounded by vast empty regions. **Lenard (1903)** was the first to experimentally suggest atomic void spaces. ### Step 3 - Rutherford's Verification (1911) Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering (1911) quantitatively verified and extended Lenard's concept, discovering the nucleus. But Lenard was **8 years earlier**. ### Step 4 - Evaluation of Options * **Option (A) Rutherford:** Incorrect — he verified it in 1911, after Lenard. * **Option (B) Thomson:** Incorrect — his model had no void spaces. * **Option (C) Lenard:** Correct — first suggested atomic voids in 1903. * **Option (D) Dalton:** Incorrect — his model had solid atoms. $$\text{Correct Option: } \boxed{\text{C}}$$