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Describe the experimental basis for believing that the nucleus occupies a very small fraction of the volume of the atom.

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Step-by-step explanation:

Rutherford conducted an experiment in which he took a thin gold particle film on which he passes alpha- particles. He noticed that:

  • Most of the alpha particles get through the film and can be detected by the detector.
  • Around small portion of the alpha particle deflected at small angles.
  • A very very few alpha particle (approximately 1 out of 1 million alpha particles) just retraced their path which means come back from the center.

He concluded that:

Most of the space of the atom is empty and in the center of the atom , there is solid mass which is the cause of the alpha particles to come back. He gave the term nucleus to this solid mass.

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User Tomas Narros
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