Question

Draw the number of scattered particles versus the scattering angle graph for scattering of alpha particles by a thin foil. Write two important conclusions that can be drawn from this plot.

Answer 1

Conclusions:

1. An atom is mostly empty space: Since most alpha particles pass through with little or no deflection, positive charge and mass are not uniformly spread, and most of the atom is empty.
2. Presence of a small, dense nucleus: A very small fraction of particles are deflected through large angles, indicating a strong repulsive force and positive charge is concentrated in a tiny central region (nucleus).