Rutherford Gold Foil Experiment

Alpha-particle scattering experiment that revealed the dense, positively charged atomic nucleus.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil.
• About 1 in 8,000 alpha particles deflected by more than 90 degrees.
• Led Rutherford to propose the nuclear model of the atom in 1911.

Specifications & Metrics

• YEAR: 1909 – 1911

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