The Alpha Particle Scattering Experiment, conducted by Ernest Rutherford in the early 20th century, played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of atomic structure. In this experiment, alpha particles were directed at a thin sheet of gold foil.
Observations showed that most alpha particles passed straight through, but some were deflected at large angles. This led to the revolutionary conclusion that atoms consist mostly of empty space, with a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the centre.
This discovery replaced the previously accepted "plum pudding" model, where positive and negative charges were thought to be evenly distributed throughout the atom, and laid the foundation for the modern nuclear model of the atom taught in GCSE Physics courses.
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