Why were some alpha particles scattered backwards?

A tiny number of alpha particles, traveling at 10\% of the speed of light, hit a dense atomic center right in its middle. The collision and the repulsion cause the alpha particle to “bounce” backwards and move on a very different path. These are the reflected rays.

Why did very few alpha particles deflected backwards?

The positive charge and mass are concentrated in a tiny volume in the atom (the nucleus) – this means the chance of being on that exact collision course was very small, and so only a very small number of alpha particles would be seen to bounce straight back.

Why were a few of the alpha particles deflected at wide angles when they passed through the gold foil?

Some alpha particles approach the (gold) nucleus so that their path takes them very near to it. The gold nucleus and alpha particle are both positively charged therefor ethere is a repulsive force between the (gold) nucleus and the alpha particle. This causes the alpha particle to be deflected througha large angle.

Why do some alpha particles deflected?

Some of the alpha particles were deflected slightly, meaning that there must be a small part of the gold atom that is positively charged. This is because the alpha particles are positive and like charges repel each other, so the positive part of the nucleus deflected the alpha particles.

What is Rutherford alpha particle scattering experiment?

What is the Rutherford gold-foil experiment? A piece of gold foil was hit with alpha particles, which have a positive charge. Most alpha particles went right through. This showed that the gold atoms were mostly empty space.

What was the alpha particle scattering experiment carried out by Rutherford?

gold foil experiment
The initial discovery was made by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden in 1909 when they performed the gold foil experiment in collaboration with Rutherford, in which they fired a beam of alpha particles (helium nuclei) at foils of gold leaf only a few atoms thick.

What law causes alpha particles to deflect backwards?

This is due to the fact that like charges repel each other. As the positively charged alpha particle would fly through the foil it would come in proximity with the positively charge nucleus of the atom. This in turn either deflected the particle or adjusted its path.

How did Rutherford interpret the fact that a few of the particles were deflected at very large angles?

How did Rutherford interpret the fact that a few of the a particles were deflected at very large angles? The a particles were striking the neutrally charged neutrons in the gold atoms. More of the a particles would have passed through the aluminum foil unobstructed, and less would have been deflected at a large angle.

Why only a very small percentage of the alpha particles bounced back or deflected at very large angles?

Explain why only a very small percentage of the alpha particles bounced back or were deflected at very large angles. Only a few alpha particles bounced back because the nucleus is so small/atom is mostly empty space that few collided with the nucleus.