Discovery of the Nucleus

• Rutherford’s Analysis:

• Since most particles weren’t deflected, most space in the foil must be empty.

• Backscattering implied all of atoms mass concentrated in a small nucleus.

• Detailed analysis of number of scatterings vs angle was consistent with a point positive charge repelling the a-particle by Coulomb’s Law.

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This analysis set the stage for understanding how electrons create the outer structure of the atom.