Question

What was the Rutherford experiment. what were conclusions and what were limitations of his atomic theory

Answer 1

Hey there!

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Rutherford's experiment - :

Ernest Rutherford directed a beam of Alpha Particles through a very thin ( 0.00006 cm thick) gold foil in a evacuated chamber.

[ Alpha particles are helium nuclie, they have mass of 4 u + a charge of +2 units)

When he directed the beam of Alpha Particles through the foul foul, the presence of alpha particles was defences using a circular fluorescent ZnS screen.

Observations -:

• Most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil without deflecting their path.

• And very very few alpha particles were deflected through large angles and some even retraced their original path.

• And some were deflected Through somewhat large angles.

Limitations -:

According to this model of atom, electrons revolves around the nucleus, but the electrons which are revolving in circular orbits can't be stable as they do experience acceleration. Thus, he didn't explain anything about stability of atom.

Also , he didn't explain anything about arrangement of electrons in atom.

[Well, I wrote whatever I read till now about this topic]
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Hope it helps...!!!

Answer 2

Heya!!

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Rutherford's Experiment :

This experiment also known as Rutherford's gold experiment.

He took a gold sheet which is few mm thick and fixed it at proper reference.

Then he passed alpha particles by high speed through gold sheet.

Observations :

1. Many alpha particles passed through it without any deflection.

2. Very few alpha particles deflect by making some angles.

3. Very very very few reflected by 180° in straight line.

Conclusions :

1. Since many alpha particles passed from gold sheet without any deflection, means atoms have large empty space. About 99.999..

2. Since very few alpha particles deflected by some angles, means there is some positive charges at centre(due to which it repel alpha particles and negative charge particles moves around this centre).

3. Since very very very few, about 1 in 20,000.. Deflected by 180° angle.. Hence whole mass of atom concentrated at Centre which occupy very less volume - later known as nucleus.

Importants :

Rutherford well explained the atom and also discovered nucleus.

He explained atom in two parts :
1. Nucleus
2. Extra nuclear part

This theory got well and gd enough on Thomson's model as he explained gd distribution of +, - particles in atoms.

Limitations :

According to him, electrons moves around nucleus by centripetal force as like solar system.. Bt according to Maxwell's electromagnetic theory.. It never been possible.

He didn't able to explain line spectra of hydrogen atom.

He also didn't able to explain about molecules made by atoms.

Later Bohr gave his theory that modified Rutherford's model of atom.

Hope it helps u :)