Rutherford Experiment

The Rutherford Experiment, conducted by Ernest Rutherford in 1909, involved firing alpha particles at a thin gold foil. Most particles passed through, but some bounced back. This surprising result led Rutherford to propose that atoms have a small, dense nucleus at their center, surrounded by mostly empty space. This challenges the earlier "plum pudding" model, suggesting that electrons orbit the nucleus, similar to planets around the sun. The experiment revealed the atomic structure's complexity and laid the groundwork for modern nuclear physics, fundamentally changing our understanding of matter.