Question

The theory of atomic structure has changed significantly over time. What should happen if a trusted scientific experiment yields results that contradict part of this theory?

Answer 1

J.J. Thomson's experiments with cathode ray tubes showed that all atoms contain tiny negatively charged subatomic particles or electrons.

Thomson's plum pudding model of the atom had negatively-charged electrons embedded within a positively-charged "soup."

Rutherford's gold foil experiment showed that the atom is mostly empty space with a tiny, dense, positively-charged nucleus.

Based on these results, Rutherford proposed the nuclear model of the atom.