The Nucleus
Reconstructing the Gold Foil Experiment
Using what you learned about Ernest Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment, create two clearly-labeled graphics of the experiment - one from an overall view and the other from a close-up view. Once you have drawn and labeled your graphics, answer the following questions on a separate document:
- What two things did the Gold Foil Experiment prove? How were they proven?
- Determine whether the statements below are true or false. If the statement is false, rewrite the statement to make it a true statement.
- Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment suggests that negatively charged alpha particles were deflected by a neutral nucleus.
- The nucleus takes up most of the volume of an atom.
- In the Gold Foil Experiment, all of the alpha particles went straight through the gold foil, indicating that the atom is completely empty space.
Before you begin, review the Gold Foil Experiment Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You will need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment, so please submit a Works Cited document with your assignment submission. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you use.
Options to create your graphics include the following:
- Hand-draw the assignment and then take a picture of it for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.
- Hand-draw the assignment and then scan it for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.
- Create a new file in a paint or graphics program and utilize the software to create the graphics. You can then submit your work to the assignment’s dropbox.
- Use a mobile or computer-based application to create an image or document. Then, email or export the final product for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.
Once you have completed your graphics and answered the associated questions, please submit your assignment to the dropbox.