Which one of the following conclusions could not be derived from Rutherford’s α-particle scattering experiment ?
Most of the space in the atom is empty.
The radius of the atom is about 10⁵ times the radius of the nucleus.
Electrons move in a circular path of fixed energy called orbits.
Nearly all the mass of the atom resides in the nucleus.
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2021
A) Most alpha particles passed straight through, indicating that most of the atom is empty space.
D) A small fraction of particles were deflected at large angles or bounced back, indicating the presence of a dense, positively charged nucleus containing most of the mass in a tiny volume.
B) Based on the trajectories, Rutherford estimated the size of the nucleus relative to the atom.
However, Rutherford’s model did not explain the stability of the atom (electrons orbiting a nucleus should lose energy and spiral into the nucleus) nor the observed atomic spectra. The idea that electrons move in specific circular paths of fixed energy (orbits) was a postulate introduced later by Niels Bohr to address these issues, building upon Rutherford’s model. Therefore, this conclusion was not derived from Rutherford’s experiment.