Rutherford and his colleagues fired a beam of small, positively charged alpha particles at thin gold foil. Some of these alpha p
articles were deflected at angles as they passed through the foil. What conclusion did Rutherford and his colleagues draw from their results?
A) The atom must contain some neutral charge spread throughout the atom. He called these particles neutrons.
B) The atom must contain some centrally located negative charge. He called this core of negative charge the nucleus.
C) The atom must contain some centrally located positive charge. He called this core of positive charge the nucleus.
D) Thomson's plum pudding model of the atom was correct. The atom contains positive charge spread throughout its structure.
The questions states that some particles were deflected meaning both the nucleus and the particles were the same charge because they repelled. Using common knowledge, we know that the nucleus is positively charged. Using this information, you can immediately eliminate choices A and B. Choice D says that the positive charge was spread throughout its structure. This is false because protons and neutrons are only found in the nucleus. Electrons are the subatomic particles found outside the nucleus, thus you can get rid of choice D, only leaving you with choice C.
