The Discovery of the Nuclear Atom: Rutherford (1911)

We mow know that an atom consists of a nucleus surrounded by an electron cloud1. However this understanding of the structure of atoms largely arises from a famous gold foil experiment that was carried out in 1911 by three Scientists - Rutherford, Geiger and Marsden. Before this scientists tended to think of atoms to consist of negatively-charged electrons within a posively charged medium, sometimes referred to as the plum pudding model. For example the following diagrams illustrate our current understanding of the atomic structure of Lithium and the one suggested by the plum pudding model.

Atomic structure of 6Li.

Plum pudding model for 6Li

The experiment involved monitoring how a beam of particles from a radioactive source were scattered when fired at very thin sheets of gold. (Alpha particles are , are positively charged and are much smaller than an atom, but much larger than an electron and are the result of radioactive decay2.) In the experiment a circular flourescent screen was used to detect the particles; when an particles impacts on a fluorescent screen then a flash or scintillation occurs. The configuration of the experiment is shown in the following diagram. fluorescent screen

particles emitter

gold leaf

Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table 2 Radioactive Decay

1

The plum pudding model would suggest that the particles would pass through the metal either with a very small deflection given the attractive force of the electrons. However, a very small proportion (about one in 10,000) of the scintillations were found to occur on the same side of the gold sheet as the source, as if they bounced off the gold sheet. Rutherford suggested a new structure termed the nuclear atom - for the atom based on this experiment. The nuclear atom consists mainly of empty space and the vast majority of its mass is concentrated into a positively charged and very small central core which was named the nucleus. The nucleus is approximately 10,000 times smaller than the atom. The nuclear atom explains the results of Rutherfords experiment, as illustrated in the following diagram. Most alpha particles pass straight through the gold foil. However, alpha particles with a trajectory clost to a hard positive nucleus are strongly deflected or rebound.

Some are deflected

Some rebound

Most pass straight through

Rutherfords nuclear atomic model explains the results of the gold leaf experiment.

Summary Particle Nucleon (Mass) Number 0 1 1 Relative Charge -1 =1 0 Charge/coulombs Mass in atomic mass units -19 -1.610 1/1840 +1.610-19 0 1 1 Mass in relation to electron 1 1836 1836 Position within the atom orbiting nucleus nucleus nucleus

electron proton neutron

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