Average angle of deflection of α-particles by a thin gold foil pr...
About the same
The average angle of deflection of α-particles by a thin gold foil predicted by Thomson’s model is about the same size as predicted by Rutherford’s model. This is because the average angle was taken in both models.
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Average angle of deflection of α-particles by a thin gold foil pr...
Thomson's Model vs. Rutherford's Model:
Thomson's model of the atom, also known as the "plum pudding" model, proposed that atoms consist of a positively charged sphere with negatively charged electrons embedded within it. According to Thomson's model, the positive charge is uniformly distributed throughout the atom.
On the other hand, Rutherford's model of the atom suggested that atoms have a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center, with electrons orbiting around it. In his famous gold foil experiment, Rutherford observed that a small fraction of alpha particles were deflected at large angles, indicating that the positive charge of the atom is concentrated in a small nucleus.
Angle of Deflection of Alpha Particles:
In Thomson's model, the positive charge is uniformly distributed throughout the atom, which would result in minimal deflection of alpha particles passing through the gold foil. This is because the positive charge is spread out, making it less likely for alpha particles to be deflected significantly by individual positive charges in the atom.
In contrast, Rutherford's model predicts that the majority of the mass and positive charge of the atom is concentrated in a small nucleus, leading to a higher likelihood of significant deflection of alpha particles by the densely packed positive charge in the nucleus.
Conclusion:
Based on the differences in the distribution of positive charge in Thomson's model (uniform) and Rutherford's model (concentrated in the nucleus), we can infer that the average angle of deflection of alpha particles by a thin gold foil would be about the same as predicted by Rutherford's model. This is because the concentrated positive charge in the nucleus in Rutherford's model would lead to a higher degree of deflection compared to the uniformly distributed positive charge in Thomson's model.