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Question

According to the Rutherford's model, what is the main characteristic of an atom's nucleus?

This question was previously asked in
RRB Group D 2025 Question Paper (18-Aug-2026) (Shift 1)
The correct answer is

It is small, dense, and positively charged

Rutherford's gold-foil experiment showed that most alpha particles passed straight through the atom, while a very few were deflected sharply back. He concluded that almost the entire mass and all the positive charge of an atom are concentrated in a very small region at the centre, which he named the nucleus. Electrons move around this nucleus in the space outside it.

So the nucleus is not spread throughout the atom, nor is it large or negatively charged, and it certainly does not contain only electrons; electrons are outside the nucleus. The defining feature of the Rutherford nucleus is that it is tiny, extremely dense and carries the atom's positive charge.

Hence, the answer is It is small, dense, and positively charged.

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Similar Questions

  1. What defines two elements as isobars?

  2. Atoms of different elements with different ___________ numbers but the same ______ number are known as isobars.

  3. Which of the following statements is correct about the size of atoms?

  4. What do the raisins represent in Thomson’s plum-pudding model of the atom?

  5. Which of the following electronic configurations is NOT possible for any neutral atom?

  6. What does the atomic number of an element represent?

  7. Which of the following elements has a mass number of 40 and atomic number of 20?

  8. The electron was discovered by:

  9. An atom of element X has a mass number of 37 and contains 20 neutrons. What is the atomic number of X, and which element does it represent?

  10. Which of the following elements do not possess neutrons inside their nucleus?


Important Questions from Structure of Atom

  1. How many moles of He atoms are present in its 20 u mass ?
  2. Which of the following electron transition in hydrogen atom will require largest amount of energy?

  3. A species having 8 electrons in the third shell is very reactive while the other species having 8 electrons in the third shell is very inactive they are :

  4. Which of the following is the general formula for saturated hydrocarbons?

  5. Which one of the following is the average atomic mass of chlorine atom?

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