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t1mm3h
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Hello, I have just started reading my first chemistry book and have a question about Rutherford's experiment.
As stated in the book:
Thomson's model of the atom suggests that positive and negative charges were evenly distributed around the atom. Then Rutherford came with his experiment: he shot tiny alpha particles at a thin sheet of gold foil. Alpha particles have a positive charge.
So far so good. But I don't get the following part:
"If atoms look like Thomson's model, you'd expect the positive alpha particles to fly on through the gold foil, with maybe slight deflections when they get near the mixture of positive and negative charges in the gold atoms. "
Why would you expect this? I wouldn't. With Thomson's model (positive charges, protons, evenly distributed) I would expect the positive particles to deflect / bounce back when shot at the gold foil (full with atoms with evenly distributed charges). Because positive charges repel positive charges.
Can somebody explain me why you would expect what the book suggets to expect?
As stated in the book:
Thomson's model of the atom suggests that positive and negative charges were evenly distributed around the atom. Then Rutherford came with his experiment: he shot tiny alpha particles at a thin sheet of gold foil. Alpha particles have a positive charge.
So far so good. But I don't get the following part:
"If atoms look like Thomson's model, you'd expect the positive alpha particles to fly on through the gold foil, with maybe slight deflections when they get near the mixture of positive and negative charges in the gold atoms. "
Why would you expect this? I wouldn't. With Thomson's model (positive charges, protons, evenly distributed) I would expect the positive particles to deflect / bounce back when shot at the gold foil (full with atoms with evenly distributed charges). Because positive charges repel positive charges.
Can somebody explain me why you would expect what the book suggets to expect?
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