Which experimental discovery contradicted Thomson's model of the atom and led to its rejection?
Alpha particle scattering showing deflection at large angles
Thomson's plum pudding model predicted that positive charge is uniformly spread throughout the atom, so alpha particles should pass through with minimal deflection.
However, in the Geiger-Marsden (Rutherford) gold foil experiment:
- Most alpha particles passed straight through (confirming largely empty space).
- A small fraction were deflected at large angles (some even bounced back).
This could only be explained if the positive charge and most of the atomic mass were concentrated in a tiny, dense nucleus — contradicting Thomson's uniform sphere model.
Rutherford's nuclear model replaced Thomson's model as a result.
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