Thomson hypotheses were tested by Rutherford by devising his gold foil experiment. Rutherford thought that if Thomas model was correct and accurate, then it means the mass of the atom were scattered within the atom. He also reasoned that if he shot alpha particles (helium nuclei) at an atom, there would be too little to deflect alpha particles.
<h2>Further Explanation</h2>
Rutherford further tested Thomson hypotheses by using a thin film of gold atoms. The outcome of the experiment took Rutherford by surprise because many of the alpha particles (helium nuclei) went through the gold foil and some alpha particles bounced back.
The outcome of the experiment was not in line with Thomson model. Rutherford dropped the plum pudding model and reasoned that alpha particles could be deflected backward only if the mass within an atom is present in a nucleus.
The component of atoms has been discovered as back as 1911 and it is made up of subatomic particles known as protons and electrons. How these electrons and protons were organized within the atom was very unclear. However, J.J. Thomson proposed what he called a “plum pudding model. The plum pudding model detailed how the electrons and protons are mixed within the atom.
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KEYWORDS:
- Thomson’s model of the atom
- Rutherford’s gold foil experiment
- protons
- electrons
- plum pudding model
