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Rutherford Gold Foil Experiment quiz

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  • What is another name for the Rutherford Gold Foil Experiment?
    It is also called the Geiger-Marsden Experiment.
  • Who assisted Ernest Rutherford in the gold foil experiment?
    Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden assisted Rutherford.
  • What type of particles were used to bombard the gold foil in the experiment?
    Alpha particles were used to bombard the gold foil.
  • What is the composition of an alpha particle?
    An alpha particle consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons.
  • How is the alpha particle symbolized in chemistry?
    It is symbolized as 4/2 He or 42He, representing helium with a 2+ charge.
  • What element was typically used as the radioactive source in the experiment?
    Iridium was usually used as the radioactive source.
  • What was the purpose of the lead box in the experiment setup?
    The lead box encased the radioactive element and directed the emission of alpha particles.
  • What unexpected observation was made regarding the alpha particles?
    Some alpha particles were deflected or rebounded, rather than passing straight through the foil.
  • What did the deflection of alpha particles indicate about atomic structure?
    It indicated the presence of a dense, positively charged nucleus at the atom's center.
  • What model of the atom was disproved by the gold foil experiment?
    The plum pudding model proposed by Thomson was disproved.
  • What is the nuclear model of the atom as proposed by Rutherford?
    The nuclear model states that a tiny, dense nucleus contains most of the atom's mass and is surrounded by a cloud of electrons.
  • Where are protons and neutrons located in Rutherford's atomic model?
    They are located in the nucleus at the center of the atom.
  • What surrounds the nucleus in Rutherford's model?
    A cloud of electrons surrounds the nucleus.
  • Why did most alpha particles pass through the gold foil?
    Most alpha particles passed through because the atom is mostly empty space.
  • How did the gold foil experiment change the field of chemistry?
    It fundamentally altered our understanding of atomic theory by establishing the nuclear model and dismissing previous models.