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GK QUESTION#3070

Which of Rutherford's experimental observations led him to conclude that the positive charge of an atom is concentrated in a very small region?

  1. AElectrons were found to orbit the nucleus in specific energy levels.
  2. BA very small fraction of α-particles rebounded almost backwards.Correct answer
  3. CMost α-particles followed a straight path through the gold foil.
  4. DA small fraction of α-particles were deflected by small angles.
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Answer

B. A very small fraction of α-particles rebounded almost backwards.

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Explanation

The rare alpha particles scattered through very large angles, including almost backward, showed a small region capable of exerting a strong repulsive force. Together with the many particles passing through, this supported a tiny positive nucleus in an otherwise mostly empty atom. Quantized electron orbits were not an observation of this experiment.

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