Final answer:
Ernest Rutherford discovered the Rutherford, or nuclear, model of the atom, which proposed a dense, positively charged nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons. The model was developed based on Rutherford's gold foil experiment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ernst Rutherford discovered the Rutherford model, also known as the nuclear model of the atom. This model proposed that an atom consists of a small, dense, positively charged nucleus surrounded by electrons orbiting at a distance. The nucleus contains most of the mass of the atom and is made up of protons and neutrons.
The electrons occupy energy levels or shells around the nucleus. Rutherford's model was developed based on his gold foil experiment, where he observed the scattering of alpha particles when they interacted with a thin sheet of gold foil.