Which of the following is not observed by Rutherford inα-particl...
Understanding Rutherford's Experiment
Rutherford's alpha-particle scattering experiment was pivotal in shaping the atomic model. The observations made during the experiment led to significant insights about atomic structure.
Key Observations by Rutherford:
- Most alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil:
- This indicated that atoms are mostly empty space.
- Some particles were deflected at small angles:
- This suggested the presence of a positively charged nucleus that repelled the positively charged alpha particles.
- A small fraction of particles rebounded back:
- This was a surprising result showing that a very dense and positively charged nucleus exists at the center of the atom.
Options Analysis:
- (a) Most of the alpha particles rebound after hitting the gold foil:
- This statement is misleading. While some particles did rebound, most passed through.
- (b) Some of the particles deflect by their path:
- This is correct. Some particles were indeed deflected.
- (c) Some of the particles do not pass through the gold foil:
- This statement is also misleading. While some particles were deflected or rebounded, most did pass through.
Conclusion:
The correct answer is option 'B' because it states that (a) is incorrect about most particles rebounding, while (b) and (c) accurately reflect Rutherford's findings. Thus, it highlights that the misunderstanding lies primarily in the interpretation of the rebound observations.
Which of the following is not observed by Rutherford inα-particl...
Rutherford's α-particle scattering experiment:
The experiment conducted by Ernest Rutherford in 1911 involved firing α-particles at a thin gold foil to study the structure of the atom. The outcome of the experiment revealed several key observations.
Observations:
Rutherford made the following observations during his α-particle scattering experiment:
- Most of the particles pass straight through the gold foil: Rutherford expected the α-particles to pass straight through the gold foil because he believed in the prevailing "plum pudding" model of the atom, where positive charge was thought to be evenly distributed throughout the atom. However, he was surprised to find that the majority of the α-particles passed straight through the gold foil without any significant deflection.
- Some of the particles deflect by their path: Rutherford also observed that some of the α-particles deflected from their original path after passing through the gold foil. This deflection indicated the presence of a concentrated positive charge within the atom, which he later attributed to the atomic nucleus.
- Most of the α-particles rebound after hitting the gold foil: Another unexpected observation was that a small percentage of the α-particles rebounded back towards the source after striking the gold foil. This result led Rutherford to propose that the positive charge of an atom is concentrated in a tiny, dense nucleus at its center.
- Some of the particles do not pass through the gold foil: Rutherford also observed that a small fraction of the α-particles did not pass through the gold foil at all. Instead, they were scattered in various directions or even turned back. This scattering indicated that the majority of an atom's volume is empty space, with the positive charge concentrated in a small region.
Conclusion:
Based on Rutherford's observations, it can be concluded that the only observation not made during the α-particle scattering experiment was that "most of the particles rebound after hitting the gold foil" (option a). The other observations, including some particles deflecting from their path (option b), some particles not passing through the gold foil (option c), and most particles passing straight through the gold foil (option d), were all observed by Rutherford during the experiment. Therefore, the correct answer is option B: (a) and (c) are correct.
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